Fwd from Misha at SANET (Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group)
>Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 13:48:58 -0800 >From: Misha Gale-Sinex <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Fwd: USDA Terrified of Mad Cow Testing >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Howdy, prion-watchers-- > >Thought this might interest you. From John Stauber of the Center for >Media and Democracy (publisher of /PR Watch/ newsletter) and author >of /Mad Cow USA/. > > >peace >mish > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >From: John Stauber >To: TSE Group > >The USDA is terrified of finding additional cases of mad cow disease. Their >position is essentially 'don't look, don't find.' Creekstone is breaking >ranks under the economic pressure of the international beef boycott. >Hopefully other companies will buck USDA and NCBA/AMI and test for mad cow >on their own. US consumers deserve the same mad cow safety programs as >those in Europe and Japan. > >However, any private testing regime must use the most sensitive tests and >publicly report any mad cows discovered to have credibility. The two >Canadian and US mad cows are the tip of an iceberg whose size is unknown. >We need the testing of millions of cattle to get a clearer picture of mad >cow disease in North America. > >John Stauber, co-author, Mad Cow USA > >----------------------------------- > >Creekstone BSE testing gets congressional boost > >by Daniel Yovich on 2/27/04 for Meatingplace.com > >U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., said his staff is trying to broker an >agreement with USDA to allow Arkansas City, Kan.-based Creekstone Farms to >test all its animals for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. > >"[Tiahrt] is attempting to facilitate a resolution that would allow >Creekstone to screen for BSE in accordance with protocols of certain Asian >countries, while meeting the concerns of the USDA," Chuck Knapp, spokesman >for the congressman, told the Meatingplace.com in an email. "Creekstone's >proposal would help allay food safety concerns of their Asian customers, >while not costing the American taxpayer a penny." > >"We have not yet heard back from USDA regarding our latest communication," >Knapp said. > >Creekstone COO Bill Fielding told the Meatingplace.com that his company has >won support for its proposed expansion of testing from several other >congressmen and senators besides Tiahrt. Fielding declined to identify the >other lawmakers. > >100 percent testing criticized > >Creekstone's proposal has been met with unusually blunt and public >opposition from USDA. Lisa Ferguson, a senior staff veterinarian at USDA's >Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, told the Meatingplace.com on >Wednesday that attempts by Creekstone to market any product as being 100 >percent BSE-tested would be illegal because USDA has not yet licensed any of >the rapid diagnostic tests used by the European Union, Japan or South Korea. > >On Thursday, the agency was apparently backpedaling on its position, >declining mainstream media requests to interview Ferguson and other >officials, and issuing a statement saying it received Creekstone's proposal >and was "evaluating the several implications of the proposal, including the >legal, regulatory, trade and other considerations" before responding. > >The proposal has not won support from either the National Meat Association >nor from the American Meat Institute. AMI President J. Patrick Boyle issued >a written statement Thursday noting that BSE testing has always been >conducted exclusively by the government. > >"While we understand that some companies may wish to engage in BSE testing >as part of a marketing program, such an arrangement would be unprecedented," >Boyle said. > >Creekstone management says the beef ban is costing the company about $80,000 >each day. The company will likely have to pare its workforce of about 750 >employees by up to 15 percent in the coming weeks unless it can again ship >its product to Asian customers. > >USDA officials said they have "strong concerns" about the possibility of >false positives that could result from rapid testing and the potential >adverse impact possible false positive readings could have on consumer >confidence in beef, livestock markets and overseas trade. > >Creekstone CEO John Stewart told the Meatingplace.com on Thursday that he >was "appalled and disgusted" by what he said were USDA's "delaying tactics" >in helping to resolve the difference between Creekstone's plans to expand >BSE testing and USDA's vow to not allow it. > >"I understand the political concerns USDA is facing, but that's not our >problem," Stewart said. "We are not going to fold up our tent and go home on >this issue. It's time for USDA to fess-up, admit they are wrong, and make >some good decisions." > >Stewart said he doesn't understand the agency's opposition to the company's >plans and said public comments by USDA officials that they feared false >positives are red herrings. Stewart said USDA might be seeking to divert >attention from demands by foreign governments to test all cattle, something >the agency opposes because it claims the best available science shows there >is no need for blanket BSE testing. > >USDA suggests strengthening BSE testing regimen > >On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman voiced readiness to strengthen >testing for BSE by mainly targeting animals aged 30 months or older. >Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on >Agriculture, Veneman did not specify how many more animals might be tested >as part of what she called "a very aggressive surveillance plan." The tests >will include some apparently healthy animals, she said, in addition to those >thought to be at high risk. > >Both Fielding and Stewart said USDA may lack the authority to prevent the >company from expanding its testing, and criticized the agency for not >expediting pending applications from companies seeking to market the BSE >rapid tests. > >Fielding said the company has won assurances from Asian trade officials and >customers that they will accept Creekstone product if the company can >certify that all of it is derived from only BSE-tested animals. > >"We will likely use the exact same tests being used by Japan and South >Korea," Fielding said. > >Stewart said he feared the issue might have to be resolved in the courts. > >Creekstone Farms opened in 2003 after it bought the state-of-the-art Future >Beef slaughter plant after Future Beef filed for bankruptcy. The plant >slaughters about 1,000 cattle per day and markets its product through the >Creekstone Farms Premium Black Angus Beef program. Fielding estimates about >15 percent of the company's business come from trade with Asian countries. > >Fielding said the tests will cost the company about $20 per animals, and >that the company's customers have agreed to absorb the additional cost. >-------------------------- > >http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/8049807.htm >Posted on Thu, Feb. 26, 2004 > > >Kansas meatpacker plans to test all cattle for mad cow > >ROXANA HEGEMAN > >Associated Press > > >WICHITA, Kan. -A Kansas meatpacker said Thursday it plans to voluntarily >test every animal processed at its Arkansas City plant for mad cow disease, >a move that has sent shudders throughout the U.S. beef industry and >government regulators. > >John Stewart, chief executive officer of Creekstone Farms, said his company >has assurances from its Asian customers they would accept his beef products >if the company tests every carcass. > >Japan has insisted on 100 percent testing for bovine spongiform >encephalopathy, or BSE, before they reopen their market to U.S. beef. > >But the idea has been resisted by the Agriculture Department and the >meatpacking industry as an unnecessary expense that does nothing to make >beef safer. > >J.B. Penn, undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services at the >department, said the agency has received a request from Creekstone Farms to >perform voluntary testing. The company has also asked to establish a >laboratory for BSE testing at its plant. > >Stewart said he was waiting to discuss the matter with Asian governments >until the Agriculture Department's concerns are resolved. > >If the department does not approve the testing within 60 days, Creekstone >Farms will be forced to lay off between 10 and 15 percent of its work force >at the Arkansas City slaughter plant, where it employs 750 workers, Stewart >said. > >Creekstone Farms exports about 25 percent of its beef products. > >The company has been losing about $80,000 a day and has been forced to cut >back operations to four days at its Arkansas City plant, said Chuck Knapp, >spokesman for U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan. > >Tiahrt has been working with the company to get USDA to allow testing. > >Creekstone Farms is the first U.S. meatpacker to agree to 100 percent >voluntary testing of slaughtered animals. > >"We believe it is the right thing to do: to test every animal to give the >American public and consumers a comfort level that every animal coming from >our facility, all the meat coming from our facility, has been BSE-tested and >is BSE-safe," Stewart said. > >The Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is >the only agency now authorized to test for BSE in the United States. > >The department announced last month it would accept applications for >companies who wanted to do a rapid test for BSE, which returns results in 24 >to 36 hours. > >But department spokeswoman Julie Quick said that it could take as long as a >year before those companies could begin testing. That's because facilities >have to be inspected and the test kits, which are not yet approved for using >in the United States, have to be tested. > >Kentucky-based Creekstone Farms kills about 1,000 cattle daily at its >Arkansas City plant. It markets the beef under its Creekstone Farms Premium >Black Angus Beef brand. > >Stewart said his company can take a direction different from other >meatpackers because it is a smaller processor that sells premium beef. > >"We understand that our competitors are not particularly happy about this," >Stewart said. "They do not want to BSE-test because of financial >implications. Most of our competitors are commodity-driven. They have very, >very thin margins and most likely they would not be able to recover the cost >of this in their selling price." > >Creekstone Farms said the testing will add about $20 to the cost of >processing each animal, a cost that will be passed on to customers. > >Other meatpackers were reluctant to even discuss the matter. > >Wichita-based Excel Corp. referred questions to the American Meat Institute. >AMI President J. Patrick Boyle issued a written statement noting that BSE >testing has always been conducted exclusively by governments. > >"While we understand that some companies may wish to engage in BSE testing >as part of a marketing program, such an arrangement would be unprecedented," >Boyle said. > >AMI said testing all animals will not make beef safer. > >U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., said that "ideally" meatpacking plants >should not have to cut their own deals to reopen U.S. export markets. > >"We should have one standard and it should be negotiated at the federal >level - and that is what should work," Brownback said. "But in this >situation, if this company is being aggressive in marketing and the Japanese >are willing to open the market up to them, I am glad to see them pressing >forward." > >ON THE NET > >Creekstone Farms: http://www.creekstonefarmspremiumbeef.com/ > >******************************************************** Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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