[USA] Government PROTECTS Mad Cows

I love this story! It's been cooking since 2004, when the US government went to war against Creekstone Farms to try to stop them from testing all the cattle they slaughter for mad cow disease. The reason? The United States Government said that if Creekstone tested all its cattle for mad cow, it could create a false negative (!!!!) and thereby scare the American public.

WHAT!!!!?????

Your government says it doesn't want you to become falsely reassured by too many tests being done on cattle?

Let's break this down: if we test all the cattle, we could find that they are safe to eat ... and that would scare the public - thinking they have safe cattle to eat ... so we need to step in and stop a private business from being responsible (good heavens, no!) about what they sell.

You've just got to wonder, how much has this insane legal action cost you and me in taxes over the last four years!

Go vegan - it's the only safe and sane way to go!

BC
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SOURCE: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5769046.html
May 9, 2008, 10:39PM
Meatpacker argues for extra testing
Government asks to limit checks for mad cow disease

By SAM HANANEL
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration on Friday urged a federal appeals court to stop meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease, but a skeptical judge questioned whether the government has that authority.

The government seeks to reverse a lower court ruling that allowed Arkansas City, Kan.-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef to conduct more comprehensive testing to satisfy demand from overseas customers in Japan and elsewhere.

Less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows are currently tested for the disease under Agriculture Department guidelines. The agency argues that more widespread testing does not guarantee food safety and could result in a false positive that scares consumers.

"They want to create false assurances," Justice Department attorney Eric Flesig-Greene told a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

But Creekstone attorney Russell Frye contended the Agriculture Department's regulations covering the treatment of domestic animals contain no prohibition against an individual company testing for mad cow disease, since the test is conducted only after a cow is slaughtered. He said the agency has no authority to prevent companies from using the test to reassure customers. "This is the government telling the consumers, 'You're not entitled to this information,' " Frye said.

Chief Judge David Sentelle seemed to agree with Creekstone's contention that the additional testing would not interfere with agency regulations governing the treatment of animals. "All they want to do is create information," Sentelle said, noting that it's up to consumers to decide how to interpret the information.

Larger meatpackers have opposed Creekstone's push to allow wider testing out of fear that consumer pressure would force them to begin testing all animals too. Increased testing would raise the price of meat by a few cents per pound.

Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, can be fatal to humans who eat tainted beef.

The district court's ruling last year in favor of Creekstone was supposed to take effect June 1, 2007, but the Agriculture Department's appeal has delayed the testing so far.