June 2007 Mad Cow News

BSE dilemma


The first time most people outside the agriculture industry realised that animals were sometimes fed carcasses from other herds was, according to this editorial, when the practice was identified as potentially responsible for spreading BSE.
Moves in the European Union to drop the ban on the use of animal carcasses in feed are premature to say the least. While the number of cases of BSE in cattle has fallen dramatically, much is still unknown about this disease.
In humans, confirmed vCJD cases have been relatively rare – but scientists have warned that it may take many years for the true scale of the problem to become apparent. Yorkshire Post Link

Honduras agrees to full restoration of beef trade with U.S.

Honduras will accept all beef and beef products from the United States, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced. FoodHACCP Link


Monthly Creutzfeldt Jakob disease statistics


The Department of Health is today issuing the latest information about the numbers of known cases of Creutzfeldt Jakob disease. This includes cases of variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) - the form of the disease thought to be linked to BSE. The position is as follows:
Definite and probable CJD cases in the UK: As at 4 June 2007
Summary of vCJD cases
Deaths
Deaths from definite vCJD (confirmed): 114
Deaths from probable vCJD (without neuropathological confirmation): 47
Deaths from probable vCJD (neuropathological confirmation pending): 0
Number of deaths from definite or probable vCJD (as above): 161
Alive
Number of probable vCJD cases still alive: 4
Total number of definite or probable vCJD (dead and alive): 165 GNN Link


Return to sender(s): S. Korea rejects 66 tons of U.S. beef

South Korea will return two shipments totaling 66 tons of U.S. beef that violated the country's import restrictions, government officials said Monday.
"The beef that will be sent back was processed for the American market and not meant for export," Seoul's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said, indicating that it would ban further beef imports from Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods. Seoul is also urging Washington to tighten controls on its beef exports, Yonhap News reported.
A 51.2-ton shipment of beef from a Tyson plant arrived in the southeastern port city of Busan on May 26, a day after the arrival of a 15.2-ton shipment of U.S. beef containing chuck short ribs. YourNewsInc.com

S. Korean housewives launch watchdog to check safety of American beef


SEOUL -- South Korean housewives have, according to this story, launched a nationwide monitoring team on Tuesday to check the safety of American beef, which is expected to go on sale again soon after a three-year import ban because of fears about mad cow disease. YonHap News Agency Link


Japan to report on results of U.S. beef plants audit

Japanese inspectors this week are, according to this story expected to release a report on a two-week tour of U.S. meatpacking plants that export beef to Tokyo, which could pave the way for relaxed restrictions on U.S. beef.
The story goes on to say that according to local media reports citing anonymous sources, all 35 U.S. meat processors certified to export beef to Japan have been inspected and confirmed to be in compliance with Tokyo's standards. The audit occurred between May 14 and May 25. AZ Dept. of Ag Link


Japanese inspectors found no problems at US meatpacking facilities


Japan will, according to this story, no longer check all American beef shipments for it has found no safety problems at the dozens of U.S. meatpacking facilities last month.
The government was cited as saying in a report released Wednesday that Japanese officials found no problems while inspecting 28 meatpacking plants in 14 U.S. states in May, and that given the clean results, inspectors will no longer check all boxes of U.S. beef as they arrive in Japan.
The inspectors were making sure that the plants all complied with restrictions imposed by Japan because of mad cow disease fears. Pravda Link

‘Mad-cow’ variant not now a risk

Public health officials were cited as saying that the news that since January four northeast Indiana residents are suspected to have died from a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease often mistaken for “mad-cow disease” should not overly concern residents. They added that the cluster of suspected cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, or CJD, is not unusual, and similar occurrences have been recorded in other states, including New Jersey and Wisconsin. BSE News Link