Mad Cow News, April 2009

CANADA: Protein linked to wasting disease found in elk antler velvet

New research shows that protein associated with chronic wasting disease can be found in antler velvet, a substance used to make nutritional supplements.
The discovery is prompting one organization to demand an emergency recall of the products, but the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says there is no reason to worry.
Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is a fatal disease that spreads among species in the deer family. Like mad cow disease, the killer involved is a prion. It is a tiny infectious agent that, unlike a virus or bacterium, is made up entirely of protein and contains no nucleic acid. Edmonton Journal Link

Tons of beef suspected of mad cow disease sold

About 13 tons of American beef were falsely sold as Australian products five years ago in defiance of a disposal order issued after a case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), was reported in the United States. Korea Times Link

Report on the investigation of the fifteenth case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

On November 3, 2008, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) sampled a Holstein cow under Canada's National BSE Surveillance Program. Brain samples were received by the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands (BCMAL) Laboratory, where they were screened for BSE using a Prionics rapid test. The result of this preliminary test did not rule out BSE. In accordance with the prescribed testing protocol, the test was repeated and produced a reaction a second time. Brain samples were then sent to the National BSE Reference Laboratory in Lethbridge, Alberta. Additional testing for BSE (Prionics-Check PrioStrip, BioRad TeSeE ELISA, Prionics-Check Western and Hybrid Western Blot) was conducted at the National BSE Reference Laboratory to validate the result of the screening test and was positive on Nov 6, 2008. The Scrapie Associated Fibril Immunoblot procedure was positive on Nov 7, 2008 and the immunohistochemistry procedure was positive on Nov 14, 2008. The carcass was secured at the sampling site and will subsequently be transferred to CFIA’s Lethbridge laboratory for incineration. No part of the carcass entered the human food supply or animal feed chain. Canadian Food Inspection Agency

US: FDA announces confirmation of the effective date of the BSE final rule

The Food and Drug Administration today announced that the final rule entitled ‘‘Substances Prohibited From Use in Animal Food or Feed,’’ will become effective on April 27, 2009. However, to allow renderers additional time to comply with the new requirements, the Agency has established a compliance date of October 26, 2009. The additional 6 months will provide time for those affected to identify appropriate methods for disposing of material prohibited from use in animal feed by this rule. FDA is encouraging affected parties who are able to begin complying with the rule to do so as soon as possible. Veg Source Link