Mad Cow Crisis Continues in North America

Edmonton Journal
December 16, 2004

As the UK learned a decade ago, nothing less that a TOTAL ban on feeding
animal by-products to livestock is going to stop the spread of mad cow
disease. Canada and the US are still legally feeding billions of pounds a
year to cattle as fat and protein supplement. As this article reveals, even
feed marked as "vegetable" is contaminated with animal byproducts.

One week from today, December 23rd, is the first anniversary of the
announcement of the US mad cow. Since then the few steps taken by the US
government have been completely inadequate, even though the USDA's own
expert panel concluded last February that mad cow disease has been spreading
and amplifying in US feed for many years.

The weaning of calves on cattle blood remains legal and widespread. Cattle
blood and fat are fed legally to cattle. Cattle are legally fed to pigs and
chickens which are in turn legally fed back to cattle. The USDA will sue
any company privately testing for mad cow disease. The USDA's own testing
program is inadequate and has no transparency. The recent announcement that
a suspect cow was eventually found negative has not been confirmed or
verified outside of the USDA and therefore should not be trusted.

One year after the US mad cow, the crisis continues while industry and
government attempt to sweep it under the rug.