Public Comments on Mad Cow Needed/USDA/by Midnight

[Guest guest]

USDA/MAD COW - April 12 DEADLINE: IMPORTANT

 

Forwarded for: Michael Gregor, MD

 

The USDA is accepting public comments on their new mad cow

regulations (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/news/2004/bseregs.htm) up

until April 12, 2004. They have received over 2600 comments so far,

and the meat industry is madder than the cows-they estimate doing

things like excluding downer-cow brains from hamburgers will cost

them $150 million a year. But that's a drop in the bucket for them.

Please everyone email the USDA at FSIS.RegulationsComments

by tonight and include the docket number " Docket 03-025IF " in the

subject line. And tell your friends to write in too! Sorry I wasn't

able to send this off any sooner.

 

One proposal is to exclude cattles' small intestines from human

consumption in the U.S. In Europe, though, all of the intestines are

excluded from human food, from the small intestine down to the

rectum,[1] in part because there is concern that the colon may also

be infectious.[2] Tell the USDA that they should follow Europe's

example and exclude all cow and calf rectum, colon, and anus from the

American food supply.

 

Another proposal is to exclude skull, brain, eyes, vertebral column,

and spinal cord from processing into meat products from cows over 30

months of age, even though infection has been found in the brains of

cattle as young as 20 months.[3] In Europe, these risky tissues are

excluded from any cow over only 12 months of age.[4] In the U.S. the

brains, eyes, and spinal cords from cattle under 30 months " can be

rendered to produce products identified as beef stock, beef extract,

and beef flavoring without any identification of the source materials

other than 'beef'... " [5] This presents an unacceptable risk to the

American public. We should follow the EU's lead and exclude these

tissues from cattle over 12 months of age-it's a no brainer!

 

The most important proposal, though, is to exclude flesh from downer

cattle from the human food supply. Critics of the downer exclusion

will no doubt argue that many downed animals are unable to get up due

to a traumatic injury and are therefore being excluded

inappropriately. In Europe, though, where 1 out of every 4 cows is

tested, hundreds of cases of Mad Cow disease are found in animals who

appear perfectly healthy.[6] In fact, even the Washington State

Holstein who had Mad Cow disease didn't appear sick. Luckily it seems

she had a birthing injury which may have left her unable to stand,

and she was thus flagged to be among the small percentage of downer

cows tested.[7] The Canadian case similarly wasn't displaying CNS

symptoms. Ask the USDA to make the downer ban permanent, exclude all

downed animals-pigs, sheep, and other livestock-and require downed

animals be humanely euthanized immediately wherever they become

downed.

 

[1] Official Journal of the European Communities. Commission Decision

of 27 December 2000.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/bse/bse23_en.pdf

[2] European Scientific Steering Committee. Listing of Specified Risk

Materials. http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/ssc/out22_en.pdf.

[3] http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/bse-statistics/bse/yng-old.html

[4] Official Journal of the European Communities. Commission Decision

of 27 December 2000.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/bse/bse23_en.pdf

[5] Federal Register. Docket No. 03-038IF.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/03-038IF.htm

[6] European Commission. BSE Cases in Cattle.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/bse/testing/bse_12evol09-03_en.pdf

[7] December 2003. http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0312/29/ltm.09.html

--

Michael Greger, M.D.

Chief Medical Investigator for Farm Sanctuary

http://www.nodowners.org

BSE Coordinator for the Organic Consumers Association

http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow.htm

(206) 312-8640

mhg1

185 South St #6

Boston, MA 02130

 

For periodic updates on the Mad Cow crisis send a blank email to

DrGregerMadCowUpdates-

[Guest guest]

I don't mean to be a wise ass, not much of one anyway, but what does a vegan care about mad cow disease. I think I'll spend my efforts telling people not to play with guns, instead of where not to stand when they are fired.

 

Eric