You had to be living in a cave for two weeks not to know that a cow in Washington state was found to have Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as Mad Cow Disease. A lot of facts about the disease have been discussed, but there are also some myths that are causing confusion in the general public. Let’s look at the known facts, as of December 31. The cause of BSE is a mutant protein called a “prion” that destroys brain cells. BSE is not a contagious disease like the flu, and it is not caused by bacteria, a virus, or a fungus. BSE will not be eliminated in meat by irradiation or other “on-site” food safety measures at processing plants. These “prion” type brain diseases are quite rare in animals throughout the world and even more rare in humans. Fewer than 150 people worldwide have died from Cruetzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) disease in the 12 years since it was diagnosed as a variant caused in humans ingesting meat from BSE infected cattle. Because BSE is not contagious, and is not spread by animal-to-animal or animal-to-people contact, it is not likely to show up on other farms in the United States, unless there is some connection with an infected herd or a contaminated feed supply. In most cases BSE is spread to new animals from meat and bone meal (MBM) feed that was processed from animal parts of BSE-infected cattle. These types of feed products have been banned in the US since 1997. The affected herd in Washington State is under quarantine by the USDA until the matter of animals with BSE has been resolved. Safeguards against BSE are in place, and additional ones have been added. The USDA, during the England Mad Cow devastation, helped to isolate positive cows. Up until last week, all downer cows were tested. Three downer cows were tested in Washington; some reports have stated that 20 were tested. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman included the following safety measures as of Dec. 30: o The USDA bans all downer cattle from the human food chain. o Inspectors will hold products until the cattle tested for BSE are confirmed negative. o Specified risk material will include skull, brain, ganglia, eyes, vertebrae, spinal cord, dorsal, root ganglia of animals over 30 months and small intestine of all ages. These materials will be kept away from tissue to be consumed. o Air injection stunning will be banned. o Other actions include advance meat recovery identification, and mechanically separated meat will be banned for human consumption. In 2003, beef exports in the United States are expected to total between $3.7 and $4 billion. Approximately 25 countries have placed restrictions on U.S. beef imports as of Dec. 29. Included on that list are Japan, Korea and Mexico, which are three of the largest importers of U.S. beef. In 2002, the United States exported approximately $1.2 billion in beef and veal products to Japan, which was nearly one-third of the total beef exports for that year. More European Union (EU) countries already ban imports of U.S. beef due to concerns over the use of certain growth hormones. Total beef sales from U.S. farms in 2003 is expected to reach $37 billion, which is up almost $7 billion from 2002 totals. This was mainly because of record high proceeds for fed cattle this past fall, resulting in some of the highest profits for cattle feeders in decades. Some economists are estimating that the current BSE situation will cost the U.S. beef industry more than $2 billion. Many cattle feeders have been filling their feedlots with feeder cattle in recent weeks, at feeder cattle prices that were also near record levels. Feeders were relying on continued strength in the fed cattle feeders for the next six to nine months, when these cattle will go to market. Now, unless those cattle feeders “locked-in” a market price, or the cattle market rebounds quickly from the BSE incident, those feeders could be facing some large financial losses in 2004. The price of feeder cattle futures on the CME has also been down the limit since the BSE announcement. This is bad news for beef cow/calf producers that still owned their 2003 calves and were planning to sell them early in 2004, anticipating some of the best profits from their beef cow herd in decades. Many of the new safety measures are intended to add to one of the safest food industries in the world. They also will help with confidence in consumers. Make sure to base decisions on facts and research. As the USDA collects more information, we will continue to pass it along to the public. Source: Joe Neubauer, County Extension Director – McLeod/Meeker, and Kent Thiesse, Vice President, MinnStar Bank.
