Canada's Third BSE Case Troubling

OTTAWA - Jan 11/05 - SNS -- Efforts by U.S. law makers to prevent the USDA from opening the border on March 7 to imports of Canadian cattle will take on added urgency with today's announcement of a third case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an Alberta cow.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said it has confirmed the Alberta beef cow, which is just under seven years of age. is infected and stressed that "no part of the animal has entered the human food or animal feed systems."

Jan Lyons, president of the U.S. based National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), responded to the news by demanding that the "USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigate Canada’s feed ban compliance. Based on this information, USDA and the FDA should determine how to proceed with regard to implementation of the Canadian rule."

He added that "Once the questions concerning Canada’s compliance with its BSE firewalls have been adequately answered, NCBA members will consider their position on the Canadian rule and efforts to reopen the border. Consumers should remember BSE infectivity is not found in beef such as steaks roasts and ground beef. It exists in nervous system tissues such as the spinal cord and brain of older animals with this rare disease, and USDA now mandates that these materials are removed prior to processing."

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