The Change Mariner

U.S.: 'Mad Cow' Came From Canada

Reuters:

The U.S. Agriculture Department says it believes a dairy cow infected with mad cow disease was imported from Canada in 2001.

Ron DeHaven, the USDA's chief veterinarian, told reporters on Saturday the cow was one of 74 cattle imported into Idaho from Alberta, Canada, in August 2001. The cow was born in April 1997.

All 74 went to a dairy operation in Mattawa, Washington, DeHaven said. He said it was too early to speculate where the other 73 dairy cows went from there.
The discovery of the deadly, brain-wasting disease in a six-and-a-half-year-old Holstein dairy cow in Washington state has cut off U.S. exports of beef, sent food company stocks tumbling and shaken consumer confidence.

The Bush administration said the beef supply is safe for consumers. The USDA said meat linked to the infected cow was sold in four western states -- Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.

Safeway, Fred Meyer and Albertsons have asked customers to return certain cases of beef patties and other products that originated at Vern's of Moses Lake Meats, which slaughtered the infected cow. Some two dozen nations have halted imports of U.S. beef. The USDA is sending a team of trade experts to Japan and will begin talks on Monday on how to address that nation's concerns and resume beef shipment. Posted by Bob King at December 27, 2003 09:19 AM | TrackBack
Related Categories: Area - Infectious Disease | Industry - Food | Industry - Healthcare | Quadrant - Economic | Quadrant - Political | Theme - 'The New Age of Germs'