Click on text below to see the vid

Test EVERY Cow in the Food Chain

Test EVERY Cow in the Food Chain
Like Other Countries Do

Saturday, October 31, 2009

"PriceChopper" Warns Customers: Fairbanks Ground Beef Recalled ...

e'coli

Kow Killer Klubs: Kooperatives

Cooperatives Working Together to Kill Cows
By admin | October 30, 2009
Submitted by Animal Place Sanctuary

I know I’ve been blogging a lot about the dairy industry these past few days. I promise I’ll be blogging about other farmed animal and Animal Place related issues soon, but this article was brought to my attention. I had to post about it, it’s just so creepy and Halloween is right around the corner, so it seemed appropriate.

Living in California, the largest dairy state, it’s hard not to hear about the “plight” of dairy farmers. Feed prices are up. Milk prices for producers are down significantly. Farmers are left with decisions to make and who do they turn to when times are tough? Apparently, Cooperatives Working Together - a collection of dairy co-ops that get to benefit any time a down-and-out-of-luck dairy farm participates in their herd retirement program.

You heard that right, herd retirement. If you are a cynic when it comes to the language industry uses, you probably laughed darkly at that nice little term. If you are unfamiliar with the way agri-business spins and twists and confuses with language, then you might think herd retirement was synonymous with green pastures and nice, new cow sanctuary digs. Or maybe you do realize that herd retirement = slaughter. I mean, I know people generally like to consider a permanent retirement from the work place, but this is a bit of an extreme interpretation of the word.

If you’re like this farmer, this is how hard the decision to retire your herd might be:

“He said it was the hardest thing he ever had to do,” she said. “Luckily, my boys could do it.”

Yes, it must have been downright tough-as-nails hard carting off 1,500 cows to slaughter. Lucky!! Someone else did it for this guy. Left out of the equation are the cows. You know the herd about to be retired? How do you suppose they felt being crowded into metal containers, transported miles to the nearest abattoir, unloaded, poked and prodded, shoved and pushed, forward motion to the man or woman who would punch a hole in their heads, cut their throats, butcher their bodies?

I am a compassionate person. But let’s face facts, here: This family (and in all honesty, I wish them economic success w/o animals) has profited off of the exploitation and use of another species without their consent. These cows have had thousands of gallons of milk taken from them for people to drink, they have given birth to calves they’ve never nursed. This is their send-off gift of retirement? Well, it is just sooner than normal - all dairy cows are slaughtered, of course, even when they could live another decade.

Back to the Cooperatives Working Together (CWT). They even have a program where you can include all of the bred heifers in the herd. Bred heifers = pregnant. It does not matter if the cow is 45 days pregnant or full-term, nine-months pregnant - CWT will buy them for a flat fee of $700/cow. What happens to these pregnant cows? Their babies? Generally the cow is stunned and her throat cut. Inside her, the calf - if he is full-term - will struggle with her as she dies (for as she dies, so does he). The cow may then be cut open and her fully-conscious or, by then, dead calf removed from her womb. The calf may be used for research, his blood pumped from a still-beating heart to make use of their fetal blood serum. This is done without anesthesia. The calf might just have her throat cut as well (without a stunning blow to the head) and be processed alongside her mother. Mostly, the calves will be cut from their mother’s body and their skin turned into soft leather. That last link has a video. It’s graphic, you have been warned.

This year alone, CWT has paid for the slaughter of 225,000 cows. That’s almost as many cows they’ve paid to kill since they formed in 2003. Around 55,000 cows are being killed per week - that’s 7,850 cows a day or 327 cows every hour being slaughtered. Generally, around 2 million dairy cows are slaughtered annually, but at the current pace, another million - 3 million total - will be killed.

So who benefits from the CWT? Certainly not the cows and calves - they’re killed. The farmers who “retire” their herds? The money they get per hundredweight of their cows is hardly worth calling home about. It certainly won’t help the farmer retire. They have to sell their entire herd to benefit from the CWT program and they can’t use that money to buy more cows. Member groups certainly benefit. They’re buying into a system that winnows down a diverse group of farmers to a small, more homogeneous group of farmers (those big co-ops, primarily). They certainly benefit from less competition. That does not seem like a good thing for anyone.

Help give cows a real retirement by supporting sanctuaries and vegan outreach groups. Reduce the amount of money you spend on animal products, choose alternatives, try veganism. These are meaningful ways to help animals.

Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs.



http://www.animalrightsblog.com/2009/10/30/cooperatives-working-together-to-kill-cows/

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Chinese Govt Turns Up Heat on US Beef

Lawmakers turn up heat on US beef

By Ko Shuling, Jenny W. Hsu, Mo Yan-chih and Flora Wang
STAFF REPORTERS
Thursday, Oct 29, 2009, Page 1

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators hold up signs at the KMT caucus office in Taipei yesterday in protest against the importation of ground beef and other cow parts from the US and demanding the rigorous inspection of other US beef products.
PHOTO: CNA

The legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee ground to a halt yesterday as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers insisted National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Su Chi (蘇起) deliver a report on the decision-making process behind a change on US beef imports and vowed to pursue a better deal.

The committee’s morning session got off to a rough start as the DPP asked that the agenda be changed from reviewing the Presidential Office and NSC’s budget requests to having Su report on the policy shift. DPP lawmakers said that the beef policy was more urgent than the budgets because the policy would be implemented next month but the budgets were for next year.

The DPP, however, did not have enough members to file such a motion.

The afternoon session was not much better. Cashing in on their numerical leverage, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers voted in favor of a proposal to prolong the meeting to midnight if necessary.

The session ended at 5:30pm after Su finally made it to the podium and said, “Please refer the council’s budget request to the written report. That’s all.”

During the morning session lawmakers were allowed to speak for three minutes each.

DPP Legislator Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) demanded Su step down, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) apologize and the government begin new negotiations with Washington. He promised to boycott the Presidential Office and NSC budgets if his demands were not met.

DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) criticized the protocol Taipei signed with Washington, saying it amounted to a humiliating surrender of the country’s sovereignty.

“Unless Su delivers a satisfactory report to the committee, we refuse to review their budget plans,” he said.

Describing Su as an “enemy of the state” and a “sinner of Asia,” DPP Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) said it was amazing how the KMT administration ignored a legislative resolution demanding the executive branch obtain legislative consent before lifting the ban on US beef.

DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), in a play on words, said in Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese) that Su made Taiwan “Su Su Ki” (輸輸去) or “lose everything” at the negotiating table and that the deal had cost Taiwan so much that it would have to “pull its pants down.”

DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) said she would like to know exactly what the government offered to seal the deal, saying that Ma and Su were the masterminds of the policy and that the Department of Health was just a scapegoat.

DPP legislators William Lai (賴清德) and Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) both asked Su to tell the public once and for all whether he has a valid green card or US citizenship and if he has made a real effort to protect the health of the Taiwanese.

DPP Legislator Yu Tien (余天) criticized Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) for being irresponsible for saying that it was up to the public to decide whether to eat US beef.

Yu asked if Wu would also lift the ban on marijuana and tell the public it was their decision whether to use it.

DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) criticized the administration for being incompetent in domestic affairs, obedient to China and weak in foreign affairs.

KMT lawmakers, however, criticized the former DPP administration for violating a 2006 legislative resolution to allow the import of US beef, although they said the resolution was “not legally binding.”

KMT Legislator Wu Ching-chih (吳清池), however, said he was “100 percent” against lifting the ban on cow intestines. He also demanded American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director William Stanton apologize for comparing eating beef with motorcycle accidents.

Stanton said on Tuesday that “when you look at the risk, statistically, [in contrast to] no cases of mad cow disease [reported in the US], well, one might conclude that one should stop driving motor scooters because of the risk.”

KMT lawmakers asked Su to comment on both the green card allegation and the uproar over beef imports.

Su first denied that he had a green card and then dismissed the allegation that there had been any trade-offs in the negotiations. He also ruled out the possibility of relaunching negotiations, saying it would be a significant blow to the country’s credibility and reputation.

Criticizing the foreign policy of the former DPP administration, he said the KMT administration was trying to turn things around. He said the country must make friends with the US, Japan and China and that there would be more negotiations in the future including an economic cooperation framework agreement with Beijing.

As for the decision making on US beef import, he said Ma gave only three instructions: safety, safety, safety.

“Our priority is the health of the Taiwan people,” Su said. “The Americans thought we were very tough at the negotiating table.”

A one-year study by the government concluded that the risks posed by bone-in beef, intestines and ground beef were miniscule, so the administration decided to follow the “South Korean model” and partially lift the ban on US beef, he said.

While a US report claimed that government officials would review the 30-month age limit for cows and consider full trade access 180 days after the new protocol takes effect, Su said this was “misinformation.” Taipei and Washington would review the “implementation” of the policy, he said.

NO SECRET DEALS

Wu Den-yih also dismissed the need for the government to renegotiate the deal.

Wu told reporters yesterday that said he respected beef importers’ decision not to apply for imports of US cow’s internal organs and ground beef. He also rebutted media speculation that there had been any under-the-table deals with the US.

“The government would never sacrifice the health of the people in exchange for [something] from the US,” he said.

Meanwhile, KMT caucus members continued to voice their opposition to the import plan. Caucus secretary-general Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) suggested that the legislature pass a resolution to empower the government to delete cow’s internal organs from the list of beef products allowed to enter Taiwan.

Cheng Ru-fen (鄭汝芬), caucus deputy secretary-general, called on housewives to boycott cow’s internal organs from the US.

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) also defended the government’s decision to relax import restrictions, while promising to respect any boycotts.

“The government will not exchange the people’s health for anything with foreign countries. Any products we import will comply with both local and international health and safety regulations,” Ma said at a KMT event yesterday.

He said the government agreed to import US ground beef, bone-in beef and internal organs to follow the rules in bilateral negotiation as a member of international organizations.

“The negotiations were made to seek more space for the country’s participation in international society,” he said.

Ma said the government would act as the “gatekeeper” to ensure public safety, but said: “We respect any consumers who decide to adopt higher standards or take certain action.”

SCHOOL LUNCHES

Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強), a KMT member, announced yesterday that US beef or beef products would not be served in school lunches in his city.

“I accept the government policy but execution of the policy would be a different story, because public health must be the foremost priority. The central government should publish a list of US beef exporters and the history of the cattle for every meat shipment,” the mayor said.

The DPP’s Tsai said there was no way to ensure the public would be safe unless such imports were banned.

“No matter how local governments or vendors try to exercise self-monitoring, it will never be completely foolproof. The public might still end up consuming meat and internal organs without knowing,” Tsai said.

Restaurant owners, however, have mixed feelings about the controversial imports.

Sabrina Yu (尤君惠), the manager of Frank’s Texas Barbecue, a steak house in Taipei County that only serves US beef, said the restaurant welcomed the lifting of the ban on bone-in beef such as T-bone steak or ribs, but such items would not appear on its menu until they have been proven to be risk-free, she said.

A beef noodle shop owner in Tamsui Township (淡水) surnamed Chao said he was willing to use imported cow organs from the US such as tripe as long as the price was reasonable and the customers liked the flavor.

“Of course I am worried that some customers who are more politically minded might refuse to eat at my restaurant. But this is a business and if the internal organs from the US are safe and cheap, then I will use them,” he said.

Jeffrey Chen (陳毅達), a graduate student who lived in the US for nine years, said he was not worried about mad cow disease in US beef but still refuses to buy the meat because “it would be supporting a policy that I strongly disagree with.”

The Ma administration should have asked for more from the US before signing the deal, he said.

Also See: EDITORIAL : US beef and the curse of Yu Wen


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2009/10/29/2003457

Pig Farmers Cry "Fowl" to USDA; ask for $$$ and Help




Pig producers in Washington, crying for money from the USDA and help from Congress
October 28, 2009 at 2:12 pm by Brian Ries


According to this Reuters article, “Hog producers have lost, on average, nearly $23 for each hog marketed since September 2009, ‘and things look bleak going forward,’ said NPPC president Don Butler at House Agriculture subcommittee hearing.”

You might want to blame this porcine problem on idiots who believe that they’ll contract H1N1 from ham, but the National Pork Producers Council website actually says that the industry has lost $23 per hog since September, 2007. What? Amidst the greatest outpouring of love for the humble pig by restaurant chefs, television food celebrities and people like me, pig ain’t selling?

Actually, sales haven’t been the real problem until recently. Grain prices started rising dramatically during the international food crisis that started a couple of years ago, thanks to the rise of environmentally unstable bio-fuels. And that grain makes up 60 percent of the cost of raising a hog, according to the NPPC. Add in a ban on U.S. pork imports by China and Russia — ostensibly because of H1N1, but more likely political maneuvering — and the industry suffers.

Why, you may ask, should I care?

On one hand, you shouldn’t. Industrialized pork production is a terrible blight on animal well-being and the environment, so seeing Boss Hog Ag companies suffering might be icing on your bacon brittle. If prices rise — which they would, economically speaking, if our food supply system wasn’t so fucked up — then fewer people will eat the mass-market meat. At that point it’s easier for consumers to justify seeking out local pork, which tastes better, is better for local economies and usually better for the environment and the pigs. That would encourage more local farms to get into the act, completing the cycle. Everyone wins! Well, for everyone but Big Ag.

Problem is, pork producers are in Washington on bended knee to ask Congress and the USDA to step in and spread some of that deficit dough around. One way to help prop the industry is for the USDA to buy a big lot of hogs for its commodity program, which would then be distributed to food banks and school lunch programs. The NPPC also wants to remove some of the incentives in place for ethanol and bio-fuel production, relaxation of certain regulations governing production methods, and help with foreign trade negotiations.

Under that plan, Boss Hog Ag wins and consumers come out with a mixed bag. More donated food for food banks? Good, although that money would likely be spent on food anyway. More exposure and investigation into the impact of bio-fuel supports? Good. More freedom for factory farms to raise pigs in even worse conditions? Bad. Money spent to prop up an ailing agricultural industry? Probably bad.


http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2009/10/28/pig-producers-in-washington-crying-for-money-from-the-usda-and-help-from-congress/

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Swine Flu: Another Case of Human to Pig Transmission

INFLUENZA PANDEMIC (H1N1) 2009, ANIMAL (19): ICELAND SWINE, OIE
***************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


[1]
Date: Tue 27 Oct 2009
Source: OIE's Weekly Disease Information Vol. 22 - No. 44 [edited]



Information received on 27 Oct 2009 from Mr Halldor Runolfsson, Chief
Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Authority
of Iceland, Selfoss, Iceland

Summary
Report type: Immediate notification
Start date: 24 Oct 2009
Date of 1st confirmation of the event: 27 Oct 2009
Report date: 27 Oct 2009
Date submitted to OIE: 27 Oct 2009
Reason for notification: Emerging disease
Morbidity: 10 percent
Mortality: 0 percent
Zoonotic impact: Possible transmission of the influenza virus between
humans and pigs
Causal agent: Pandemic influenza A/H1N1 virus
Serotype: Other
This event pertains to the whole country

New outbreaks
Summary of outbreaks
Total outbreaks: 1
Location(s) : GULLBRINGU (Minni-Vatnsleysa, Vogar)
Total animals affected
Species / Susceptible / Cases / Deaths / Destroyed / Slaughtered
Swine / 4500 / 10 / 0 / 0 / 0

Epidemiology
Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection: Possible
transmission from human to pigs
Epidemiological comments: Clinical signs commenced on 24 Oct 2009
with 10 sows off feed, temperature greater than 40 C, some were
coughing, and 2 aborted. Two workers had had flu-like symptoms for a
few days prior to the clinical signs in the pigs.

Control measures
Measures applied: Quarantine, Movement control inside the country,
Vaccination prohibited [see comment] , No treatment of affected
animals
Measures to be applied: No other measures

Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type: Institute for Experimental Pathology at
Keldur, Iceland (National laboratory)
Tests and results
Species / Test / Test date / Result
Swine / reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) /
27 Oct 2009 / Positive

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail

[Iceland is the 10th country reporting infection of pigs, in
commercial farms, with the influenza pandemic A/H1N1 virus. The
previous countries were Canada, Argentina, Australia, Singapore, UK
(Northern Ireland), Ireland, Norway, USA and Japan. In all incidents,
humans were suspected to be the source of infection. The clinical
signs, in all cases, were rather mild. Though swine influenza is not
included in OIE's list of reportable diseases, these outbreaks were
reported as "emerging disease."

Infections have also been seen in turkeys, reported from Chile and
Canada; see posting 20091027.3719 and item 2 further. As in the
outbreaks in pigs, humans were suspected to be the source of
infection. The clinical signs in turkeys were reminiscent of those
seen in cases of low-pathogenic avian influenza, main losses caused
by a significant drop of egg production.

The term "vaccination prohibited" included among the control measures
may be confusing at times. This phrase is used in the OIE
questionnaire when vaccination is not applied, apparently
disregarding the reason. - Mod.AS]

******
[2]
Date: Tue 28 Oct 2009
From: Dave Halvorson


The prohibition of vaccine use [see comment to item 1 above] begs
further commentary.

What is a farmer to do to protect his breeder turkeys effectively
from a human virus? If government regulators have the answer to that
question, they should provide it. If public health personnel cannot
prevent the spread of novel H1N1 from person to person, then it is
unlikely that veterinarians can devise strategies to prevent human to
animal transmission. Biosecurity cannot protect turkeys from people
who are incubating or sick due to novel H1N1.

The economics of producing turkey hatching eggs involves hens valued
at USD 40-50 at the parent flock level. Influenza largely stops all
egg production, which means this hen now becomes worth next to
nothing. So 5000 turkeys lose up to USD 250 000 in value almost
overnight.

--
David A. Halvorson, DVM
Diplomate, ACPV
Professor Emeritus
College Of Veterinary Medicine
University of Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108


[The situation described by Dr Halvorson resembles the scenario of
non highly pathogenic avian influenza in turkeys; it remains to be
seen whether an inactivated novel/pandemic H1N1 animal vaccine, when
becoming commercially available, would be allowed. As indicated in
OIE's Manual, since the 1970s in the USA, there has been some use of
inactivated vaccines produced under special license on a commercial
basis. These vaccines have been used primarily in turkeys against
viruses that are not highly pathogenic but that may cause severe
clinical signs, especially in exacerbating circumstances. Significant
quantities of this vaccine have been used. In recent years in the
USA, most of the special license inactivated vaccine has been used in
breeder turkeys to protect against H1 and H3 swine influenza viruses.
Conventional vaccination against the prevailing strain of LPAI has
also been used in Italy for a number of years. Vaccination against
H9N2 infections has been used in Pakistan, Iran, China, as well as
several countries in the Middle East. - Mod.AS]

[see also:
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (18): Canada (ON) avian, OIE
20091027.3719
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (17): Japan (OS) swine, OIE
20091022.3635
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (16): Canada (ON) avian 20091022.3629
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (15): USA (OR) ferret
20091021.3618
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (14): Canada (ON),
avian 20091020.3602
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (13): USA swine, conf. 20091020.3600
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (12): USA swine, susp 20091019.3592
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (11): Norway 20091019.3589
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (10): Ireland 20091002.3427
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (09): UK (NI) swine, OIE 20090918.3280
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (08): Singapore, swine
20090904.3114
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (07): Chile, avian 20090829.3036
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (06): Canada, swine 20090828.3027
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (05): Austr., swine 20090826.2999
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (04): Chile, avian, OIE
20090823.2978
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (03): Chile, avian, RFI
20090821.2961
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (02): Austr., swine 20090820.2951
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health: Canada (QC) 20090729.2661
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (17), Argentina, OIE 20090703.2401
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (16), Argentina, swine, OIE 20090626.2322
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (15), Egypt, pig cull 20090617.2241
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (14), EU preparedness, Egypt 20090615.2220
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (13) swine, Canada, origin, RFI 20090615.2215
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (12) swine trial inf. 20090605.2088
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (11) swine trial inf. 20090604.2067
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (10) swine, Canada, cull 20090514.1813
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (09), swine, Canada 20090513.1790
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (08), food safety, FAO/OIE/WHO 20090507.1710
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (07), swine, Canada, OIE 20090506.1691
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (06), Canada, OIE 20090505.1683
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (05), swine, Canada, FAO 20090505.1680
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (04), infected swine, Canada 20090502.1653
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (03), Egypt, pig cull 20090502.1649
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health 20090430.1637
Influenza A (H1N1), "swine flu": animal health (02), Egypt,
prevention 20090429.1623
Influenza A (H1N1), "swine flu": animal health 20090428.1604]
...............................................arn/msp/lm

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thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
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Sunday, October 25, 2009

Taiwan lifts ban on importing US bone-in beef

Guess Taiwan didnt hear about Chinas banning US Beef Imports because of "banned organs" found in the cow carcasses. Recently, both Tyson and Cargill Beef Products have been guilty of failure to remove these banned parts from the carcasses of the beef we are exporting and/or are selling to our own American consumers.

By Pawan Shukla | 24/10/2009 | in

The Taiwan government has announced that it will lift a ban on imports of a range of U. S. ‘beef in bone’ products including Porterhouse steak.

Taiwan has ended a six year long ban on import that was in place over fears of mad cow disease, and ushering improving ties with the U. S.

The import is likely to start in November this year.

Meanwhile, the health department announced all imported beef products will have to carry a label of approval from the U. S. Agriculture Department.

During the meeting of Taiwan and US officials, a retired US diplomat in Taipei, Syd Goldsmith said, “It removes an irritant that's been nagging for as long as I can remember.”

A source from US official told reporters that the deal is finalized and it allows import of all beef products from cattle under 30 months old. He also added that imports from older cattle will be allowed only after the young ones are found safe.

While talking to reporters, the Taiwan government official said, “After a strict appraisal and risk analysis proving the safety of U. S. beef, the Department of Health today announces that in addition to the boneless products now allowed, it will open to other beef.”

The United States is Taiwan’s second largest trading partner and it generates an annual trade of about $57 billion.

Click on title above for original article and place to comment; http://topnews.com.sg/content/2384-taiwan-lifts-ban-importing-us-beef-bone

SEE ALSO, Related;

Taiwan minister offers to quit over US beef decision
(AFP) – 1 day ago

TAIPEI — Taiwan's health minister on Saturday offered to resign over the controversial decision to lift the ban on US beef on the bone despite mad cow disease concerns.

"Of course I will resign if there is a demand. I will take the responsibility," health minister Yang Chih-liang told reporters.

The health department announced Friday that it would allow imports of US bone-in beef and intestines in a move blasted by some lawmakers and consumer rights advocates.

The ruling Kuomintang caucus demanded Yang step down for lifting the ban without the parliament's consent and threatened to freeze the health department's budget.

Meanwhile, the Consumers' Foundation accused the government of bowing to pressure from Washington despite health risks and urged the authorities to put warning labels on US beef products.

Local media said the new measure would take effect in late October and the first shipment of US beef on the bone is expected to arrive in the island as early as November 10.

Taiwan banned US beef imports in December 2003 due to reports of mad cow disease in the country but opened up to boneless beef products in 2006.

Beef affected by the disease is feared to cause in humans a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hkNOLNffaZFNGZYSZ5Jk_6YXFYiA

EQUINE PRIOPLASMOSIS - USA (07): (TEXAS)

****************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: 23 Oct 2009
Source: Horse Talk [edited]



Horses test positive for equine piroplasmosis
---------------------------------------------
A total of 32 quarter horses at a property in Kleberg, Texas, have
tested positive for the tick-borne protozoal disease, equine
piroplasmosis. The property is under quarantine as officials from the
United States Department of Agriculture and the Texas Animal Health
Commission work to trace the source of the infection.

Equine piroplasmosis is caused by a parasite, _Theileria equi_, which
can transmitted from horse to horse by certain kinds of ticks. It can
also be transferred through needles.

Agriculture department veterinarian Dr John Clifford, in reporting
the outbreak to the World Organisation for Animal Health this week,
said a total of 32 cases had been confirmed at the property in
Kleberg County. Dr Clifford said a 7-year-old quarter horse was taken
to a local veterinary hospital on 2 Oct 2009.

"A blood-borne pathogen was subsequently suspected and the horse was
placed in isolation and initial diagnostic samples taken."

The positive test for equine piroplasmosis was returned on 12 Oct
2009. The following day, a quarantine was imposed and 31 other horses
linked to the 1st horse were tested. Ticks were also collected from 5
horses to be tested for the disease and to have the species
identified, as only certain kinds of ticks are known to be able to
carry the infective agent. Those tests came back positive on Monday
[19 Oct 2009].

A further 96 horses have been tested and resulted are awaited, Dr
Clifford said.

Meanwhile, Canadian authorities have closed the country's border to
horses from Texas while the outbreak is resolved. Horses from any
other US state must have additional certification that they have not
been in Texas in the previous 21 days.

In June [2009], equine piroplasmosis was detected in Missouri, with a
related case found in Kansas. In 2008, the infection was detected in
Florida -- which was then the 1st occurrence of the disease [in
Florida] in the USA in 20 years. These cases have been resolved.

Equine piroplasmosis can affect horses, donkeys, mules or zebras and
cause clinical signs common to many diseases, including poor appetite
and weight loss. Deaths can occur.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[Readers are encouraged to see ProMED-mail post 20091021.3617 for
information about the disease.

This could represent a substantial expansion of the disease. Although
the disease has been found several times in the US, it is still
regarded as a disease foreign to the US. - Mod.TG]

[The interactive HealthMap/ProMED map for Texas is available at:
- CopyEd.EJP]

[see also:
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (06): (TX) OIE 20091022.3631
Equine piroplasmosis - USA (05): (TX) 20091021.3617]
....................tg/ejp/mpp

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using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
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Thursday, October 22, 2009

Cargill recalls beef tongues - Banned Organs Found

Last week, China banned imported meat from Tyson for the same exact reason,...banned organs not removed from carcasses. Good Going USDA. Sleepin on the job agin, ay ye?

MILWAUKEE - A Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Milwaukee is voluntarily recalling over 5,500 pounds of beef tongues because the tonsils may not have been completely removed.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service says tonsils need to be removed because the tissue could contain the infective agent in cattle with mad cow disease.

Removing the tonsils minimizes potential human exposure; there's no indication these cattle were infected.

Cargill spokesman Mark Klein says the company acted quickly when the problem was discovered.

The recall includes various weight cases of "Beef Tongue Number 1 White." Each case has the establishment number EST.17690. The affected packages were produced between Oct. 12 and Oct. 14 and were shipped to distribution centers in Illinois.

Cargill Meat Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cargill Inc., based in Wayzata, Minn.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-beeftonguerecall,0,3278187.s

Sunday, October 18, 2009

USDA Inspected Beef Recall: Banned Parts Found / O'Niell Packing, Nebraska

Neb. meatpacker recalls 33,000 lbs. of beef tongue

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a Nebraska meatpacker has recalled 33,000 pounds of beef tongue.

The agency announced in a news release Thursday that inspectors discovered the tonsils had not been completely removed from the tongues processed by J.F. O'Neill Packing Co. of Omaha.

Tonsils are a specified risk material for mad cow disease and are required to be removed from cattle of all ages.

The USDA says the recall, which involves tongues packed from July 1 through Oct. 8, represents a low risk to human health.

The beef was shipped primarily to distribution centers in Nebraska and California.

Each recalled case bears the establishment number "EST. 889A" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

(This version CORRECTS that company is located in Omaha.)


http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewContent.act?clipid=380113343&mode=cnc&tag=3.5721%3Ficx_id%3D20091016-pf1onfile-V0344

Friday, October 16, 2009

Foodborne Illness from Sick Cattle?

October 7, 2009. By Jane Mundy

Charlotte, NC: This past July, Rebecca purchased large packages of ground beef, divided them into small portions and stored them in her home freezer. "Two days later I had a fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea that became so severe I went to urgent care" she says. Rebecca had blood and stool samples taken and was sent home with antibiotics, unaware she was suffering from a foodborne illness.

"I was having about 20 bowel movements a day and there was also blood in my stool," says Rebecca. "The blood test showed that I was severely potassium deficient and my doctor wanted me to go to ER, but I was scheduled to fly to Miami and board a cruise ship the next day.

"Early the next morning I was vomiting and passing a lot of blood so I drove my kids to the airport and went directly to ER where I spent the next 24 hours. I was rehydrated and given potassium by IV. By that time they couldn't pinpoint any bacteria because I had already taken two rounds of Flagyl and Cipro.

One week later I got the results of the stool sample: it tested positive for Salmonella. The culture was sent to the Georgia State lab (I was out of town at the time) for confirmation and typing—it is the state law. And the lab confirmed that I had the Salmonella Newport strain.

I did some research on Salmonella Newport and discovered it comes from dairy cattle, but I believe it came from the ground beef I handled.

When dairy cattle get sick, they are taken to market and that is where a lot of ground beef comes from. I talked to the Centers for Disease Control and the FDA; an agent from the FDA meat safety department told me that there is a legal allowable level of Salmonella to be present in meat when it leaves the packing plant and likely the meat I handled was contaminated--but it was within the allowable level.

I ranted and raged. The FDA agent said if this allowable limit was not in place, the average American citizen could not afford meat: if the standards and tighter safety precautions are set too high, the rate of production would decrease drastically. I couldn't believe it! So what is the allowable FDA level?

I asked for a written transcript of our conversation, and she sent it to me. I didn't eat beef in a restaurant before I got sick. And nobody else in my family had a foodborne illness. I've actually had people laugh at me because I am so safety conscious, constantly washing and wiping. So how could I have contaminated the area?

Perhaps a small amount of blood got into the water bottle I had on the counter. Or maybe I didn't wash my gloved hand well enough. But I do know that it had to be contaminated ground beef that caused me to have food poisoning.

I still have some ground beef in the freezer. I talked to a lab technician and he said the meat would still contain Salmonella but cooking kills it. So I could buy more meat and it could have Salmonella in it too. I bought these jumbo packs at Sam's Club. It's not a question of saving money because I could go to a high-end supermarket and they would have the same standards. My sibling buys half a cow from the local farm—I'm seriously considering buying a deep-freezer and going that route.

A lawyer said there wasn't an outbreak in my area so there is no way they can track a foodborne illness outbreak. I can take that meat to the lab but the burden of proof is way too heavy. However, I'm sure I'm not the only person who got food poisoning from ground beef.

I'm slowly recovering. The hospital doctor said if my potassium level was any lower, my heart could stop. And I was anemic. Apparently this strain—the Salmonella Newport--can cause long term effects. My bowels still don't work properly; right after I eat I get bad cramping and have to go to the bathroom right away. And you can even develop an arthritis condition.

There's one good thing about this incident: Thank god I didn’t get on that cruise—I could have died out there in the Caribbean."

About a month after Rebecca suffered a foodborne illness, a multi-state Salmonella Newport outbreak centered in Colorado caused a recall of about 825,769 pounds of ground beef products manufactured by Fresno, CA-based Beef Packers Inc. The ground beef products were produced on various dates ranging from June 5, 2009 through June 23, 2009.



http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/12910/foodborne-illness-food-poisoning.html?ref=newsletter_bca_foodborne-illness-food-poisoning

New Ag Bill Passes Senate: Says NO to Horse-slaughter Plants in 2010

Agricultural Act Passes Senate, Moves onto President
by: Edited Press Release
October 14 2009, Article # 15088



On Oct. 8, 2009, the United States Senate passed the final version of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.2997). The House of Representatives approved the bill the previous day. This bill provides funding for the USDA for fiscal year 2010 and contains two provisions of interest to the horse industry.
GAO Study of Horse Welfare
The conference agreement accompanying this bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the status of horse welfare as it relates to the closing of horse slaughter plants in the United States.

The agreement requests the GAO to issue a report by March 1, 2010, on the current state of horse welfare in the US since horse slaughter facilities were closed. The GAO is instructed to consider how the horse industry has responded to the plant closings in terms of horse sales, exports, adoptions, and abandonments. In addition the GAO is instructed to review the impact the closures have had on farm income and state and local government organizations.

USDA Inspection at Plants
The bill also contains a provision prohibiting any funds from being used by the USDA to inspect horse meat for human consumption. While there are currently no plants operating in the in the United States that process horses for human consumption, this bill effectively bars any such plant from operating in the U.S. for fiscal year 2010.

This bill will now proceed to the President for his approval, which is expected.

If you have any questions regarding this bill please contact the American Horse Council www.HorseCouncil.org, 202/296-4031.

K

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Montana Dept. of Livestock Offending Neighbors

Friday, April 3, 2009

This article is nearly a year old, but I am posting it here so everyone can see that it is not just wild horses that the ranchers want off of our land, its anything that gets in their way, for any reason, and paying for the removals with OUR tax-dollars!

PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS VIOLATED BY LIVESTOCK AGENTS HAZING WILD BISON
Property Owners Welcome Bison, Not Dept. of Livestock, on Cattle-Free Horse Butte

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 29, 2008
Press Contacts:
Janae & Rob Galanis, 406-646-4848
Ed & Vicky Millspaugh, Hebgen Lake Estates, 406-646-9176, (cell) 406-580-0321
Stephany Seay, Buffalo Field Campaign, 406-646-0070

WEST YELLOWSTONE, MT - With horses, a helicopter, state and federal law enforcement, and U.S tax dollars to spend, Montana Department of Livestock agents have descended upon the cattle-free Horse Butte Peninsula, violating private property rights and upsetting human and wildlife residents in an attempt to chase wild American bison out of Montana and into Yellowstone National Park.

"These actions underscore the arrogance of the Department of Livestock, cattle industry, and agencies carrying out the Interagency Bison Management Plan," said Mike Mease, co-founder of Buffalo Field Campaign. "There are no cattle out here and the landowners want the buffalo around, yet the government-funded cowboys act like the only private property rights that matter are those pertaining to cattle."

The Horse Butte peninsula is a 26,000-acre landscape encompassing both public (Gallatin National Forest) and private property. It is 100% cattle-free at all times of the year. Horse Butte provides critical winter range and calving grounds for American bison. The majority of Horse Butte residents welcome bison, but do not welcome the presence of the Montana Department of Livestock. Homeowners have expressed their wishes that the DOL refrain from chasing bison off of their land, but these wishes continue to be ignored.

Buffalo Field Campaign documented Department of Livestock agents harassing wild bison, including newborn calves, chasing them off of the Galanis property using a helicopter, which they flew at about 20 feet above the ground, violating airspace. Fence lines were damaged in the opereation.

The Galanis family, shaken and distraught over today's actions by the DOL, refrained from immediate comment until they are able to assess the damage caused by the operation. As soon as the Galanis family took ownership of the former Munns' Ranch, they immediately placed signs around their 700+-acre property defining it as a "Buffalo Safe Zone," the largest in Montana.

"The Galanis family removed the problem by removing the cattle on Horse Butte," said Stephany Seay, a spokeswoman for Buffalo Field Campaign. "Now we need to remove the Department of Livestock."
Buffalo Field Campaign also documented as DOL agent Shane Grube and another DOL agent, both on horseback, chased one wild bull bison off of other private properties within Yellowstone Village housing area. Residents came from their homes to scorn the DOL's actions and asked them to leave the premises. The residents were ignored.

"The Interagency Bison Management Plan is supposed to be adaptive, so adapt!" said Mease. "The fact that there are no cattle on Horse Butte is a significant change and it means the Department of Livestock has absolutely no reason to be there harassing bison!"

In March of 2008, Horse Butte homeowners, Buffalo Field Campaign, and Earthjustice called on state and federal officials to stop hazing, capturing, and killing bison that migrate onto Horse Butte. View the letter and press release at http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/press0708/pressreleases0708/030408.html.
There are no cattle currently grazing in the Hebgen Lake region, and they may not be trucked into the region until early July. There is no risk of brucellosis transmission at this time. There has never been a documented case of wild bison transmitting brucellosis to cattle.

More than 1,700 wild American bison have been eliminated from the remaining wild population this winter under actions carried out under the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP), as well as state and treaty hunts. Bison are a migratory species native to vast expanses of North America and are ecologically extinct everywhere in the United States outside of Yellowstone National Park. Buffalo Field Campaign strongly opposes the Interagency Bison Management Plan and maintains that wild bison should be respected as a valued native wildlife species and allowed to naturally and fully recover themselves throughout their historic native range, especially on public lands.

Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working in the field, every day, to stop the slaughter of the wild American buffalo. Volunteers defend the buffalo and their habitat and advocate for their lasting protection. BFC has proposed real alternatives to the current mismanagement of American bison that can be viewed at http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/actnow/solutions.html. For more information, video clips and photos visit: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org

http://buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/press0708/pressreleases0708/052908.html
Posted by Mz.Many Names at 9:35 AM

http://wildhorsewarriors.blogspot.com/2009/04/montana-dept-of-livestock-offending.html

Rally Congress to End the Largest "Private" Social Welfare System in America: Public Lands Ranching

..or better known and more accurately called "welfare ranching" which caters to the privliged "phew,"; Click on title above to go to the petition

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

EASTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS, EQUINE - USA (20): (RHODE ISLAND)

*************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Fri 9 Oct 2009
Source: Boston.com, Associated Press (AP) report [edited]



Horse put down after showing signs of EEE
-----------------------------------------
A horse in Exeter that had eastern equine encephalitis [EEE] has been
euthanized. State environmental officials say the 5 month old animal was
put down on Sunday [4 Oct 2009] after displaying neurological symptoms of
the disease, and positive test results for EEE were confirmed Friday [9 Oct
2009]. Officials say the animal had not been vaccinated against the
disease. It was the 2nd horse death from EEE in Rhode Island this fall
[2009]. There have been no human cases in the state.

Horse owners are advised to inspect their barns for mosquito breeding areas
and use repellants. Symptoms can include stumbling, partial paralysis, and
muscle twitching.

Also on Friday [9 Oct 2009], state officials said test results from 39
mosquito pools all tested negative for both West Nile virus and EEE.

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[This has been a year that has struck horse owners on the eastern coast of
the US particularly hard. They have had a cooler than normal summer season
with an abundance of rain. That rain has formed a multitude of pools, which
can serve as breeding areas for mosquitoes.

While not every year is as difficult at this one, it should serve as a
reminder, regardless of weather, to protect your animals with a vaccination
program. - Mod.TG

Exeter, Rhode Island, can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail
interactive map of the US at . - Sr.Tech.Ed.MJ]

[see also:
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (19): (NY) human 20091002.3434
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (18): (ME,RI) pheasant 20091002.3426
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (17): (NY) human 20091001.3413
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (16): (ME, RI) pheasant
20090930.3407
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (15): (NH) emu 20090929.3397
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (14): (MA, ME) 20090926.3369
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (13): (ME, NH) human 20090917.3259
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (12): (ME) 20090911.3203
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (11): (FL, VA) 20090907.3157
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (10): (ME) 20090905.3127
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine, alpaca - USA: (NC, VA) 20090828.3034
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (09): (VA) 20090813.2883
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (08): (GA) 20090802.2716
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (07): (NC) 20090727.2646
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (06): (TX) 20090718.2558
Eastern equine enceph., equine, emus 2008 - Canada: (QC), background
20090715.2528
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (05): (MO, VA) 20090714.2507
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (04): (FL, LA) 20090709.2454
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (03): (FL) 20090701.2378
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA (02): (LA) 20090627.2332
Eastern equine encephalitis, equine - USA: (GA) 20090613.2197]

.................sb/tg/mj/sh



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Japan Contimplates Ban on All U.S. Beef

- halts Tyson shipments from Neb. plant

By Mari Yamaguchi ASSOCIATED PRESS

TOKYO | Japan suspended beef shipments from an American meatpacker Saturday over its failure to remove cattle parts banned under a bilateral agreement, as officials here raised concerns about U.S. safeguards against mad cow disease.

Japanese quarantine inspectors found bovine spinal columns in one of 732 boxes shipped from Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. that arrived in Japan in late September, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said. The box contained 35 pounds of chilled short loin with spinal bones, which were not released commercially, said ministry official Goshi Nakata.

The suspension affects only Tyson's factory in Lexington, Neb., one of 46 meatpacking plants approved to export beef to Japan.

It was the second suspension for the Lexington factory, Mr. Nakata said. Japan slapped a four-month ban on beef shipments from the same plant in February 2007 after finding two boxes of beef lacking verifications to show they came from cattle that met Japan's safety standards.

"It's extremely regrettable," said Agriculture Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu, who has just returned from meetings in Washington with U.S. trade and farm officials. "We need to closely examine if it was just a careless mistake or there is a systematic problem."

Japan's new ruling Democratic Party has proposed a tough response to any violation to a bilateral safety agreement, including a blanket ban on U.S. beef shipments.

The Japanese ministry has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate how the box containing the banned parts ended up in Japan.

Japan will await results of a U.S. investigation to determine the penalty for the Tyson factory, the ministry said.

Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson, called the delivery of that box a mix-up. He said the Springdale, Ark.-based company was investigating and would work with the Agriculture Department to "take corrective measures" so the plant could start supplying Japanese customers again.

He said Tyson has seven other beef plants approved to ship meat to Japan. It was not immediately clear how much meat Tyson ships to Japan, but Mr. Mickelson said it was not among its top five international markets in 2008.

The problem surfaced just one day after U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk urged Mr. Akamatsu on Thursday to lower Japan's strict safety standards in line with international standards.

"It was bad timing," said another Japanese agricultural official, Yusuke Hirata, referring to the Tyson shipment. "I hope the U.S. side would see it as an embarrassment and try to make an improvement."


http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewContent.act?clipid=377225976&mode=cnc&tag=3.7280%3Ficx_id%3D%2Fnews%2F2009%2Foct%2F11%2Fjapan-halts-beef-shipments-from-nebraska

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

MickyD's Introduces McMad-Cow Burger

Just for fun, but a big hit with people who "just dont care" what they eat or already have CJD (the human version of mad-cow disease) and dont mind eating a few (more) (live) malformed prions with their fries. Those things dont cook out you know. Scientist have even discovered the pesky little buggers living in feedlot soil!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Japan Suspends Beef Imports from Tyson / Finds Banned Cattle-parts in Carcasses / Nice Going USDA

October 10, 2009

Japan suspends beef imports from US plant

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press Writer

Japan suspended beef shipments from an American meatpacker Saturday over its failure to remove cattle parts banned under a bilateral agreement, as officials here raised concerns about U.S. safeguards against mad cow disease.

Japanese quarantine inspectors found bovine spinal columns in one of 732 boxes shipped from Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., which arrived in Japan in late September, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said. The box contained 35 pounds (16 kilograms) of chilled short loin with spinal bones, which were not released commercially, said ministry official Goshi Nakata.

The suspension only affects Tyson's factory in Lexington, Nebraska, one of 46 meatpacking plants approved to export beef to Japan.

It was the second suspension for the Lexington factory, Nakata said. Japan slapped a four-month ban on beef shipments from the same plant in February 2007 after finding two boxes of beef lacking verifications to show they came from cattle that met Japan's safety standards.

"It's extremely regrettable," said Agriculture Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu, who has just returned from meetings in Washington with U.S. trade and farm officials. "We need to closely examine if it was just a careless mistake or there is a systematic problem."

Japan's new ruling Democratic Party has proposed a tough response to any violation to a bilateral safety agreement, including a blanket ban on U.S. beef shipments.

The Japanese ministry has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate how the box containing the banned parts ended up in Japan.

Japan will await results of a U.S. investigation to determine the penalty for the Tyson factory, the ministry said.

Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson, called the delivery of that box a mix-up. He said the Springdale, Ark.-based company is investigating it and will work with the Agriculture Department to "take corrective measures" so the plant can start supplying Japanese customers again.

He said Tyson has seven other beef plants approved to ship meat to Japan. It was not immediately clear how much meat Tyson ships to Japan, but Mickelson said it was not among its top five international markets in 2008.

The problem surfaced just one day after U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk urged Akamatsu on Thursday to lower Japan's strict safety standards in line with international standards.

"It was bad timing," said another Japanese agricultural official, Yusuke Hirata, referring to the Tyson shipment. "I hope the U.S. side would see it as an embarrassment and try to make an improvement."

Washington has repeatedly criticized Japan for its tough import restrictions, which authorities say have no scientific basis.

Under the bilateral trade agreement, U.S. exporters must remove spinal columns, brain tissue and other parts considered linked to mad cow disease. U.S. beef shipments to Japan must also come only from cattle age 20 months or younger, which are believed to pose less of a risk.

U.S. officials have urged Japan to allow imports of beef from cattle aged at least up to 30 months, a widely used safety standard elsewhere, and possibly scrap age restrictions.

"We don't have a deadline, and we have not made any decisions as to whether we should change any safety standards," Hirata said. He said, however, a decision could be further delayed "if the latest incident was found to have involved serious violations."

Japan banned all U.S. beef imports in 2003 after the first case of mad cow disease was discovered in the United States. Japan resumed buying American beef in 2006 after the bilateral trade agreement setting new safety standards.

Mad cow disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, is a degenerative nerve disease in cattle. In humans, eating meat products contaminated with the illness is linked to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and fatal malady.


http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewContent.act?clipid=376091587&mode=cnc&tag=3.5721%3Ficx_id%3D20091010-pf1onfile-V804

Sunday, October 11, 2009

What's in your beef? or "Dont ask dont tell?"

From Food & Water Watch;

Tell Secretary Vilsack to beef up the USDA's E. coli testing program.


October 9, 2009


Tell Secretary Vilsack to beef up the USDA's E. coli testing program.
On Sunday, the New York Times told the story of a 22 year-old woman who was left paralyzed after a long illness caused by an E. coli 0157:H7-contaminated hamburger. By tracing the path of the burger that made her sick, the article exposed dangerous loopholes in USDA's ground beef testing program. Tell Secretary Vilsack the time is now to beef up the USDA's E. coli testing program.

Food & Water Watch and other consumer groups have been telling the USDA for years that the agency needed to strengthen its E. coli policy. We have been urging the agency to change how it responds to finding contamination in a finished product like ground beef. Because contamination starts much earlier in the process than when beef is ground into hamburger (and sometimes at a different company's facility), the agency should make it a point to investigate up the supply chain to find the source of the contamination problem. Without doing this, the agency misses an opportunity to prevent even more contaminated product from reaching consumers.

So far, the agency has not responded, refusing to even hold a public meeting to discuss their procedures for dealing with E. coli contamination.

It's time for USDA to take the threat of contaminated ground beef seriously and update its policies. Tell Secretary Vilsack to beef up the USDA's E. coli testing program.

Click on title above to take action

Thanks
Alex, Sarah, Noelle and the Food Team
Food & Water Watch
goodfood@fwwatch.org

PS - You can read more about what USDA should do to fix their ground beef testing program on our blog.

Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.

http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27967

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Congress Continues to Serve Bad Milk to Kids

Statement of Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter


Washington, D.C. – “Consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch is disappointed that Congress will not be able to re-write the 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act so that schoolchildren will have access to safe and wholesome milk before it expires on September 30. The Congress will pass an extension for the 2004 Act – a law that includes the nutritional requirements for students who participate in the National School Lunch Program – without providing an option for schoolchildren to have access to artificial hormone-free milk. The failure of Congress to act in time leaves children susceptible to the dangers associated with drinking milk produced with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH).


“Approved in 1994 by the Food and Drug Administration, rBGH is injected into cows to make them produce more milk. Besides the documented increase of infections in dairy cows injected with the hormone, which necessitates increased use of antibiotics, rBGH has also been linked to cancer in humans. Based on the number of dairies that use rBGH in the United States, it is possible that at least 84 million gallons of milk from rBGH-treated cows were distributed through school nutrition programs in fiscal year 2005-2006.

“Food & Water Watch has been working with parents, consumers, farmers, health professionals and teachers to ensure that schools have the option to purchase milk that is free of artificial hormones. Our organization anticipates that more school districts throughout the country will resolve to provide rBGH-free milk once language is included in the Child Nutrition Act that clarifies schools have the option to request it.

“Our nation’s schools are becoming a dumping ground for milk that Americans are increasingly avoiding. The most vulnerable members of our society, our children, deserve to have food that does not cause them harm. “We urge Congress to change the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act to include language that allows for schools to have the option of purchasing milk from cows that are not injected with rBGH.”

Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer organization based in Washington, D.C., works to ensure clean water and safe food in the United States and around the world. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink. For more information, visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org.




http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/congress-continues-to-serve-bad-milk-to-kids20

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

U.S. Beef & Pork Markets Deteriorate / Nat'l Institute of Health Report Links Processed Meat to Colon Cancer

The Meat Industry Research Conference (once again the star performer section of AMI convention) had a blockbuster paper presented by a speaker from National Institute of Health - foreshadowing the imminent release of research findings showing very strong links between consumption of red meats (and especially of processed meat products) with incidence of colon cancer in huma

Click on title above for full report;
http://www.meatinternational.com/world-outlook/north-america/us-beef-and-pork-markets-deteriorate-id1308.html