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For Immediate Release:
January 14, 2004

Mad Cow: No Disaster Here

by Senator Larry Craig

Recently, I received a lighthearted e-mail message containing a photo of a billboard next to a highway. The billboard shows a dinner plate, and the caption reads, "There's room for all of God's creatures. Right next to the mashed potatoes." Though food safety is no joking matter, U.S. beef retains its rightful place on that plate.

Thankfully, the dust has settled since discovery in Washington State of the first documented case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or "mad cow" disease, and cooler heads have prevailed. Now for the facts.

The first major outbreak of BSE came in Great Britain in the late 1980s. Since 1989 the USDA has banned imports of live cattle from the United Kingdom and other countries having BSE. USDA officials also banned the use of the feed practices known to spread BSE and halted the import of Canadian cattle when the disease was discovered there last May. The USDA has monitored U.S. cattle herds by testing more than 20,000 head for BSE in each of the last two years. This is 47 times the recommended international standard!

Since the discovery of that diseased dairy cow in Idaho's backyard, USDA investigators have traced its origin to Canada, and are actively isolating its offspring from the food supply. The fact that no other cases have been discovered in the United States (the only case coming from Canada) is testament to the excellent job Secretary Veneman and USDA officials have done, and the safeguards already in place when this animal was discovered.

To restore domestic and foreign confidence in our food supply, USDA added some additional firewalls to their meat inspection process. Cattle tested for BSE will be held until confirmation is received that results are negative. "Downer" cows will no longer be allowed in the human food or animal feed supply. Additional animal parts thought to transmit BSE will be prohibited from the human food processing system. Disallowing air-injection stunning of animals and mechanical separation of meat are other measures the Secretary has taken to ensure the safety of our food system.

While I support USDA's decision banning "downer" cows from the food supply, at least temporarily, we must remember downer cows are not necessarily sick animals. The agriculture industry refers to downer animals as those unable to walk. However, animals can and do get injured, suffering a broken leg or injured foot. Unable to walk, an otherwise healthy animal is labeled a downer.

Without question, sick or diseased animals have no place in the human food supply. But a blanket ban on downers is a blunt instrument for a specific problem. We need to define more precisely what is and isn't allowable.

Another question remains regarding identification of BSE. USDA inspectors at each meat processing facility are often the first line of defense in keeping our food supply safe. If downers are banned, ranchers and dairymen might dispose of BSE-infected animals not knowing their ailment, which hampers the ability to detect and prevent an outbreak. It is important to maintain the integrity of the surveillance system that has proven its effectiveness.

Our animal screening system is not broken. Necessary adjustments to reinforce our consumer safety and that of our trading partners were made, and I applaud Secretary Veneman's quick and decisive actions during this emergency situation.

Several nations are already considering reopening their borders to U.S. beef. This must be done immediately, because nearly $300 million of U.S. beef product sits on ships waiting for export. Several senators, myself included, sent a letter to Secretary Veneman urging her to appoint a special envoy whose sole mission will be to work with foreign nations to reopen their borders to U.S. beef.

Time is of the essence, and we must be proactive to ensure that U.S. beef is safe, our food processing system sound, and our producers viable. We need to make sure U.S. beef producers can continue to fill that space on our plate, next to the mashed potatoes.

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