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Consumers Union Wants More Data on Mad Cow Testing

August 27, 2005
Consumers Union is raising questions about the credibility of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) expanded voluntary mad-cow surveillance program and is asking the agency to release details on the more than 400,000 cattle tested.

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In a letter sent to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, the group cited serious deficiencies uncovered by the Office of Inspector General in the earlier years of the program.

Consumers Union specifically requested data on:

• The geographic location of sampled cattle (including the state where the cow was born, raised, and slaughtered);

• The age of the cattle tested (CU currently supports testing of all cattle above 20 months);

• The disease/high-risk status of the cattle (for example, did they show symptoms of central nervous system disease, which are common symptoms of mad cow.

“The government keeps telling Americans that they can trust that their beef is safe from mad cow, even going so far as to say that finding BSE is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Yet, since the agency has so far failed to publicly disclose any information whatsoever about the details of the program, it makes us wonder how meaningful their search for the disease is at all,” says Dr. Michael Hansen, PhD, a Senior Scientist with Consumers Union.

“We want to know exactly which cattle were tested and whether or not they really represent the most valid scientific sampling of the highest-risk animals from across the country. If the USDA wants to truly reassure the American people, they should answer our questions. Their failure to do so would make us wonder what the agency is hiding,” adds Hansen.

Consumers Union’s letter comes after the USDA’s announcement last month that a cow originally pronounced last November to be negative for mad cow disease turned out upon re-testing to be positive.

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