Don't test those cattle!

I came across an article the other day - U.S. Won't Let Company Test All Its Cattle for Mad Cow or site copy -

"What?" said I. A company that wants to go above the Dept of Agriculture standards and the government won't let them? Yes indeed, intrepid readers, that is exactly the situation.

It seems that Creekstone Farms Premium Beef from Kansas, wants to test all of the beef coming through their facility for Mad Cow disease. Their primary market is Japan, and Japan tests all of the beef processed in Japan. Given the Mad Cow situation in the US, Creekstone figured it was worth the extra cost and effort. Unfortunately, the Dept. of Agriculture decided that "implied a consumer safety aspect that is not scientifically warranted."

Well now, that might be a valid issue, but I have no idea what the false positive (or negative) rating of this particular test is. Of course, there may be a political issue at stake. Namely, that if Creekstone goes to full testing, it might raise questions of why less than 1% of the beef in the US are being tested. Who knows what the fallout might be? This possibility is reinforced in the article with: "Lobbying groups for cattle ranchers and slaughterhouses applauded the decision."

The article does have a surprising bit of information: "Under the Virus Serum Toxin Act of 1913, the department decides where cattle can be tested and for what."

So only the Department of Agriculture can decide on cattle testing - all testing? If a cattle farmer has a suspected case of hoof and mouth disease, does he or she need to contact the Department of Agriculture to get permnission to test, and where to go for the test? My guess is that is not the case. My guess is that the 1913 Act is enforced sporadically if at all.

So Creekstone is going back to court to try and get legal permission to test their own cattle for a deadly contagious disease which is also communicable (and deadly) to humans. I am so glad that our government is standing firm on protecting us. The may get to earn their name DoA (for Department of Agriculture).