Statement
Regarding
BSE
Americans can be confident in the safety of US beef for a number of reasons:
- The BSE agent is not found in meat like steaks and roasts. It is found in central nervous system tissue such as brain and spinal cord.
- All US cattle are inspected by a USDA inspector or veterinarian before going to slaughter. Animals with any signs of neurological disorder are tested for BSE. USDA regulations prevent non-ambulatory cattle from entering the food chain.
- BSE affects older cattle, typically over 30 months of age. The vast majority of the cattle going to market in the US are less than 24 months old.
- The US began a surveillance program for BSE in 1990 and was the first country without the disease within its borders to test cattle for the disease. The surveillance system targets all cattle with any signs of neurological disorder as well as those over 30 months of age and animals that are non-ambulatory.
- The US banned imports of cattle and bovine products from countries with BSE beginning in 1989.
- The only way BSE spreads is through contaminated feed. The US Food & Drug Administration in 1997 instituted a ban on feeding ruminant-derived meat and bone meal supplements to cattle. This is a firewall that prevents the spread of BSE to other animals if it were present in the US.
The USDA opened the US/Canadian border on October 19, 2007. Colorado requires that all Canadian cattle remaining in Colorado be identified permanently.
For additional
information go to www. BSEinfo.org.