13 January 2005

Consumers Union Concerned That U.S., Canadian Governments Are Not Protecting Public From Mad Cow Risk

A second mad cow in less than two weeks was confirmed today from Alberta, Canada according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) -- bringing the total number to four confirmed mad cow cases in North America in less than two years. This cow is the very first to be born after the 1997 ban of ruminant protein in animal feed went into effect in Canada and the U.S. Cattle feed containing ruminants is the means by which scientists believe that mad cow disease is spread.

 "This latest case of mad cow highlights that dangerous loopholes in both countries' laws still exist," says Michael Hansen, PhD, a scientist with Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports and advisor to its www.NotinMyFood.org campaign. "In the United States, for example, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) still allows cattle remains to be fed to other animals, such as pigs, and chickens, whose remains can then be fed back to cows. Even the remains of an animal known to carry a form of mad cow disease could go into rendered feed, under current FDA rules," Hansen added.

 Consumers Union also remains extremely concerned not only that the feed bans in Canada and the United States are inadequate, but that they are not well enforced. According to a letter issued by Senator Conrad and Representative Waxman to Governor Johanns (the current nominee for Secretary of Agriculture), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued several "import alerts" on Canadian animal feed suspected of containing prohibited feed material.

 The CFIA conducted a study that confirmed that over two-thirds of Canadian animal feed and almost half of imported animal feed labeled as "vegetarian" contained animal materials. As recently as Dec. 10, 2004, Canadian regulators conceded that their feed ban was not completely effective and that opportunities for banned materials to enter into animal feed still existed and, therefore, proposed strengthening the standards of their animal feed ban. However, Consumers Union does not believe that the proposed standards go far enough. Nevertheless, the USDA has proposed to reopen the border to beef trade with Canada.

 With so much uncertainty about the safety of animal feed and public health consequences, Consumers Union believes that:

 1. The U.S. should keep the border closed and prohibit beef imports from Canada at this time,

 2. The U.S. and Canada should eliminate deficiencies in their feed ban rules, including the prohibition of blood and bone meal. In addition, the U.S. should also ban food waste and poultry litter including excrement in animal feed.

 3. The U.S. and Canada should adopt and implement the animal feed restrictions recommended by the international expert subcommittee to USDA's Foreign Animal and Poultry Disease Advisory Committee, which includes adequate enforcement of the feed ban through an inspection program including sampling and testing of animal feed.

 4. All cows over 20 months old should be tested for BSE.

 For more information, please visit Consumers Union's dedicated Web site to food safety at www.NotinMyFood.org.

Consumers Union

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