DeLauro Statement on US Beef Industry Considering Testing Cattle Sent Overseas

DeLauro Statement on US Beef Industry Considering Testing Cattle Sent Overseas

"A report in the Wall Street Journal indicated that the beef industry is considering increased testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease in an effort to reopen trade with Japan. It is unfortunate that it has taken a threat to their bottom line for industry to take action, and I find it shocking that the beef industry is willing to give overseas consumers a higher level of protection than American consumers, just to protect their profits.
"It is critical that we should implement more frequent testing for mad cow disease. At a minimum, we should implement a more stringent testing regime to ensure that they are not infected with BSE. This is a small amount to pay to ensure the safety of our nation's food supply.

"Two weeks ago, it took the positive identification of the first case of mad cow disease in the United States for the Department of Agriculture to take common sense steps to reduce the threat of mad cow disease in our food supply. USDA did recently move to ban the use of crippled "downer" cattle for human food, but glaring weaknesses remain.
"In addition to increased testing, we should move quickly to immediately institute traceability procedures and require package labeling that indicates the country of origin to help us track beef cattle from the farm to the table. We should also give USDA the ability to demand a mandatory recall of beef and further restrict the meat-extracting practice known as Advanced Meat Recovery (AMR) so that we can ensure that brain and spinal cord material, which carries the disease, is not present in meat sold to the public.

"What we need is a comprehensive approach that will finally give us the same ability countries like England have to respond quickly and effectively when health concerns arise. It comes down to a matter of political will. There is no reason in the world our food safety system should not be the envy of the world. It has taken a boycott by Japan and other nations to shame the industry into making one small concession for safety; what will it take for them to ensure the safety our beef sold at home?"