U.S. beef industry faces new policies and testing for mad cow disease
The years 2003 and 2005 were pivotal for the North American cattle industry. In May 2003, Canada announced its first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease. This was the first time North America's indigenous cattle had been confi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
2005-10-01
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| Series: | California Agriculture |
| Online Access: | http://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?article=ca.v059n04p203 |
| Summary: | The years 2003 and 2005 were pivotal for the North American cattle industry. In May
2003, Canada announced its first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also
known as mad cow disease. This was the first time North America's indigenous cattle
had been confirmed to have BSE. Seven months later in December, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) announced that a dairy cow in Washington state (born in Canada
and brought into the United States in 2001, at about 4 years old) had also tested
positive for BSE. Then, in June 2005 USDA confirmed another U.S. case, this time “home-grown,”
a 12-year-old cow from a herd in Texas. These events have resulted in vigorous debates
over testing cattle for BSE in the United States, and several important new USDA regulations.
The results of the United State's expanded cattle-testing program will be watched
closely in light of differing risk assessments about the prevalence of BSE in the
United States. Increased testing could also have serious impacts on both domestic
consumption and export markets for U.S. beef. Even as USDA continues to implement
and refine new testing and other regulations, challenges from other countries and
watchdog groups may result in more rigorous and transparent testing procedures. Other
groups, including the beef industry, oppose more rigorous testing as causing unnecessary
alarm. |
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| ISSN: | 0008-0845 2160-8091 |