Groups question USDA's mad cow decision

[QuietStorm]

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision to re-open America's border to Canadian beef imports raises worries the agency is more concerned with protecting trade than human health, watchdog groups told United Press International.

Reversing its longstanding policy of not allowing beef imports from countries with mad cow disease in their herds, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday it would begin allowing the importation of meat from cows, sheep and goats from Canada. The agency had closed the U.S. border to Canadian beef on May 20 when authorities there reported the country's first domestic case of mad cow disease -- found in a single animal in the province of Alberta.

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The USDA decision also raises serious questions about whether the agency is committed to protecting public health, particularly considering officials appear to be leaning toward accepting live Canadian cattle as well, the groups said.

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"To me the whole thing shows just how far over the USDA is willing to bend for the purpose of trade and how much they are willing to relax what had been an iron-clad public health policy," Dr. Peter Lurie, deputy director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, told UPI.

"There was lot of noise around trade issues (and) ultimately the U.S. just caved into it," Lurie said.

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030811-050258-4969r