Slaughterhouse Owners Dispute USDA Claims

[kayell]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=10&u=/ap/mad_cow

MOSES LAKE, Wash. - Standing in front of their family business, the owners of a small slaughterhouse that killed a Holstein with the nation's first case of mad cow challenged the government's assertion the animal couldn't walk.


The cow walked off a truck at Vern's Moses Lake Meat Co. and exhibited no signs of the central nervous disorder, said Tom Ellestad, who co-manages the plant.


The issue is important because Agriculture Department officials who monitor meat plants target "downer" cattle — animals that are injured or exhibit symptoms of disease — for testing of mad cow. Critics have argued that the agency also needs to test healthy animals as a safeguard against the brain-wasting illness, which can incubate for four or five years.


Ellestad said Wednesday there is a strong possibility the illness never would have been detected had his company not tested it as part of a voluntary program to check healthy animals for the disease.

more

[Fla_Dem]

1. The USDA was just misunderstood

They said the cow could not walk, and they were totally correct. However, they were referring to the cow AFTER it waas slaughtered.

[FloridaPat]

2. An employee came out and said that they get $10 for each brain

they send to the USDA for Mad Cow testing. They only had a couple that day and that particular cow was old so they threw that cow's brain in to get some extra money. It was not showing any signs of illness. Lucky us, huh?

[SeattleDem]

3. huh?

this story is big here in Washington state (it's a "local" story here) and I haven't heard this assertion before.

Plus, why would they "settle" for $10 when selling the meat is clearly worth a lot more?

do you have a link for this?

[barbaraann]

5. Here's a link (King 5)

http://www.king5.com/sharedcontent/search/index.jsp?process=true&search=true&site=KING5&advanced=false&advanced2=true&keywordtype=allkeywords&sortresults1=lastupdatedAsc&sortresults2=lastupdatedAsc&lastupdated=anytime&simplescoresort=false&searchquery=mad+cow

It's the second story on the page right now.

[SeattleDem]

6. that link doesn't mention anything about

getting $10 per brain or why the owners chose to test that particular cow. That's the part I was questioning.

but thanks for the effort.

[SOS]

4. Standing or crippled

may not matter much in the very near future. From the NYT :

Research in Italy Turns Up a New Form of Mad Cow Disease
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.

Published: February 17, 2004

"A new form of mad cow disease has been found in Italy, according to a study released yesterday, and scientists believe that it may be the cause of some cases of human brain-wasting disease.

While the strain has been found in only two Italian cows, both apparently healthy, scientists in Europe and the United States said it should provide new impetus in Washington for the Department of Agriculture to adopt the more sensitive rapid tests used in Europe because it may not show up in those used in the United States.

Along with the Italian study, there have been recent reports of unusual types of mad cow disease in France and Japan, and scientists say the discovery of new forms suggests that many cases of "sporadic" human disease Ñ by far the most common kind, responsible for about 300 deaths a year in the United States Ñ are not spontaneous at all, but come from eating animals."