The US has been slaughtering so called "downer cattle" and putting the meat into the food supply. These animals are so diseased, they can't stand up or walk. The chances of getting CJD from a "downer animal" are a thousand times greater than from a healthy animal.
This practice was banned in Europe almost 10 years ago.
It is safe to assume that the US meat supply is now contaminated with BSE.
Last edited by moderator2; 12-27-2003 at 06:37 AM.
... These animals are so diseased, they can't stand up or walk.
Those "downer animals" may not be diseased at all - a cow with a broken leg/hip during transport would qualify as a downer yet have no disease.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asenath
...It is safe to assume that the US meat supply is now contaminated with BSE.
Why do you state that? I didn't glean that from the article you posted. It said: The bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) test is "standard operating procedure" for cattle that arrive for slaughter as downer animals. Last year, the USDA tested a total of 20,526 cattle for BSE -- all negative.
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The tragedy of science is the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact. T H Huxley
The US federal government finally admitted that Mad Cow Disease (BSE) is here in the US. The first case reported, er, detected in the US has been publicly confirmed. (As of early this week).
A few facts:
* The cow was a holstein breed - the number one dairy cow in the US. McDonalds uses dairy cows almost exclusively for its hamburgers. Used up dairy cows make for cheaper hamburgers.
* Human CJD (human form of BSE) has also been shown to be linked to dairy consumption in a number cases - including a 24 year old vegetarian in Britain. Dairy cattle are now routinely tested in Europe and Japan for BSE. Cows' milk in the US contains blood and pus - plain and simple. The BSE prion can NOT be destroyed - plain and simple.
* Labs in the US will NOT perform an autopsy on anyone suspected of BSE because their equipment would have to be removed and buried as hazardous waste if BSE was present - again, the prions can NOT be destroyed even by the highest heat man can produce.
* Farm animals (and companion animals) are fed rendered cows mixed into their feed. Downed animals are cheap feed... an d often diseased. Given that prions can NOT be destroyed, it is probable that BSE is already in chickens, pigs, and other animals eaten by humans. Already well-confirmed in sheep.
The fact that 20,000 cattle were tested and came back negative for BSE last year by the USDA does not mean much, considering that 660,000 animals are killed in the United States every hour for their flesh, and about 7 billion farm animals die or are slaughtered each year in the U.S. for the production of flesh food (including meat, dairy and eggs).
Hello, According to a KYW news article I read...Farmers used to feed cows other cows years ago, but they can't do that today. Their was a law passed in the U.S. that prohibits farmers to feed cows cows. The loop hole is that farmers can still feed cows chickens.
As far as the mad cow goes...They've killed off the mad cow's family, are trying to trace and recall the beef, and trying to trace and recall the by-products like soap, fertilizer, and candles. (Made from the bones, hooves, and fat.)
My question is...Since some of the mad cow was used for fertilizer, how safe are our vegetables? Man, there's nothing to eat!
