Opinions News
With few tests done, how will USDA know BSE levels?
del.icio.us
Digg
NewsVine
FarkA ruling by a federal judge last week would seem to bring some needed discussion back to the matter of testing for bovine spongiform encephalapathy, aka mad cow disease.
The judge sided with a Kansas meatpacker that wanted to test its livestock for BSE. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had resisted, wishing to reserve exclusivity on testing.
USDA officials fear that false positive tests done privately might create panic and harm the cattle industry.
However, that concern also points out the real X factor in BSE testing and impact: psychology. The USDA — which argues that it alone should manage BSE testing - tests only less than 1 percent of slaughtered cows.
USDA Secretary Mike Johanns said the level of testing should reflect the level of the disease in this country. Perhaps that makes sense to cattle producers, but it can be a bit confusing to cattle consumers: If the USDA doesn’t test, how does it know with certainty that there is a “very, very low level,” as Johanns put it, of BSE in the U.S. beef supply?
The opinions above are from readers of rapidcityjournal.com and in no way represent the views of the Rapid City Journal or Lee Enterprises.
Rapidcityjournal.com provides this community forum for readers to exchange ideas and opinions on the news of the day. Passionate views, pointed criticism and critical thinking are welcome. Name-calling, crude language and personal abuse are not welcome. Moderators will monitor comments with an eye toward maintaining a high level of civility in this forum. Our comment policy explains the rules of the road for registered commenters.
If you don't see your comment, perhaps...
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy