Sludge Watch ==> US to drop BSE testing to one tenth of existing rate

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Its like sludge

don't test = don't find

................................................................................


Mad Cow-Testing
20.jul.06
Associated Press
Libby Quaid
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Agriculture Department is, according to this story, 
scaling back its testing program for mad cow disease to one-tenth of what it 
has been since the discovery of an infected cow in the U.S.
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns was cited as saying there is little 
justification for the current level, which rose to about 1,000 tests a day 
after the first U.S. case of mad cow disease in December 2003.
The new level will be around 110 tests per day for the disease, known 
medically as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Johanns was further cited as saying the reduced surveillance remains 
significantly higher than what is called for by the World Organization for 
Animal Health.
Michael Hansen of Consumers Union was quoted as saying, "If you do testing 
of 100 percent of your animals, any ones that test positive never go into 
the food chain. That's in part why they do it in Europe, because they've 
seen animals that look perfectly fine, and they catch them just before they 
go to slaughter."
On an annual basis, the current level of 1,000 tests a day represents about 
1 percent of the 35 million cattle slaughtered last year in the United 
States.