Reuters reports that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investigating why a cow in Texas that displayed symptoms of mad cow disease was slaughtered and not allowed to enter the food supply without being tested for the disease.
As of this time, USDA believes that no tissue samples taken from the cow that could be tested. The Texas Department of Agriculture confirms that view.
The first case of mad cow disease on US soil was identified in Washington State last December. While the government is putting into place a program that tests all “downer” cattle with mad cow symptoms, that program is not yet operational.
As of this time, USDA believes that no tissue samples taken from the cow that could be tested. The Texas Department of Agriculture confirms that view.
The first case of mad cow disease on US soil was identified in Washington State last December. While the government is putting into place a program that tests all “downer” cattle with mad cow symptoms, that program is not yet operational.
- KC's View:
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USDA may say that it doesn’t know why the cow wasn’t tested, but we do.
We firmly believe that the government is in denial about the fact that there is more mad cow disease out there than anyone knows about. If this cow could have been quietly slaughtered and not allowed to enter the food supply without any information getting out there, they would have been a lot happier.
Which strikes us as blatantly irresponsible.
