The Missouri House of Representatives has passed H.B. 1860 on a vote of 108-32. The bill would make it a crime to record undercover pictures and videos on factory farms. Animal rights organizations have used these methods to expose animal cruelty and unsanitary conditions on farms and in slaughterhouses. Now it's up to the Missouri Senate. A Senate committee will hear the bill this week and is expected to recommend approval. The full Senate may vote on the bill later this week. Similar bills were passed in Iowa and Utah this year and was signed into law by the governors of those states, despite whistleblower statutes that are codified into law in the United States. The Missouri bill would create two new "crimes" in that state. "Agricultural Production Facility Fraud" would make it a … [Read more...]
Mad Cow Disease: Conversation with an Expert
Last month's case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), popularly known as "mad cow disease" raised the spectre of that illness in the United States. There is evidence that there are two types of BSE: typical and atypical. The typical strain is contracted when the animals are given food made from contaminated cows. A ban on this practice, known as "mammalian-to-ruminant feed ban" was instituted in 1997 in the U.S. and Canada. The ban was enhanced in 2007 to include "specified risk materials from all animal feeds, pet foods, and fertilizers." The atypical BSE may be a different strain of the prion. Scientists say that these cases are most likely spontaneous mutations, although it may be transmitted through food or the environment. There have been four cases of BSE in cattle in … [Read more...]
USDA Releases More Details About “Mad Cow”
The USDA has released more details about the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as "mad cow" disease, that was found in a dairy cow in California. The government said the cow was "humanely euthanized" after it demonstrated "downer" behavior; that is, it stopped walking. This case was an "atypical case of BSE", according to the government. That means it was a spontaneous mutation, not the result of the animal contracting the disease through contaminated feed. BSE is caused by mutated proteins, called prions, which change the structure of the brain. This results in neurological damage. Prions are "a new frontier", according to veterinarian Dr. Janet Tobiassen Crosby, editor of Veterinary Medicine at About.com. Prions, technically known as "proteinaceous … [Read more...]
USDA Announces Detection of BSE in California Dairy Cow
The USDA announced on Tuesday that a new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), popularly known as "mad cow disease" was discovered in a dairy cow in California. USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford said in a statement, "the carcass of the animal is being held under State authority at a rendering facility in California and will be destroyed. It was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human health. Additionally, milk does not transmit BSE." Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also issued a statement saying, "the beef and dairy in the American food supply is safe and USDA remians confident in the health of us cattle." There have been four confirmed cases of BSE in cows in the United States. The USDA … [Read more...]
U.S. Changing Import Regulations For BSE
The USDA is going to change its import regulations for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as mad cow disease, to bring it in line with international standards. The World Health Organization for Animal Health (OIE) uses certain criteria when they classify a country's BSE risk status. There are three categories of risk, ranging from smallest to highest: "negligible, controlled, and undetermined." This new proposal would require the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), part of the USDA, to use the same criteria. This change will not have any effect on other measures in place to guard against the disease. There is a BSE surveillance program in place in this country which bans animal materials that carry the BSE prion. The criteria used to place … [Read more...]
Congressman Reintroduces Bill to Prohibit “Downer” Livestock
United States Representative Gary Ackerman (D-NY) has reintroduced a bill to permanently prohibit all unhealthy livestock from the food supply. Representative Peter King (R-NY) is a cosponsor of the bill. The Downed Animal and Food Safety Protection Act (H.R. 3704) would make the ban on so-called "downer" cattle permanent. The ban would cover all livestock and close a loophole that permits downed calves to be slaughtered and used for food. Ackerman has said: "This legislation is essential to ensuring Americans that our nation is doing all it can to safeguard the country’s food supply. Americans should not have to worry whether the food they eat is from sick or diseased livestock and we cannot allow consumer confidence in the beef industry to ever be compromised again. Since 1993, … [Read more...]
