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From: TSS ()
Subject: USDA Wants Science-Based BSE Tests (leave on the shelf for months in preservative and forget about it)
Date: August 10, 2005 at 7:42 pm PST

USDA Wants Science-Based BSE Tests 08/10/05 10:50

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DES MOINES (DTN) -- For a second time in as many years USDA denied Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC, a privately owned producer and processor, the authority to test company-owned cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), company officials told DTN.

Creekstone Farms wants to regain entry into the Japanese beef market where consumers consider its product high quality. Regaining entry would increase demand for U.S. cattle and the feed they consume. USDA's efforts to reopen the Japanese market have been long and drawn out.

Creekstone made the request to USDA Secretary Mike Johanns after being rejected in its first proposal for self BSE testing by former USDA Secretary Ann Veneman in February 2004.

The reason given by the Johanns administration was consistent with the prior administration's reason, Kevin Pentz, Creekstone Farms senior vice-president of operations, said.

"Because you can't detect BSE in cattle under 30 months of age, the USDA said the testing method in the U.S. needs to be science-based," Pentz said. "That's what they said but I bet some U.S. scientists would disagree with that."

The company estimates the closed Japanese markets costs $400 per head each day in lost revenue -- losses Creekstone hoped the self-testing program could help recoup.

http://www.news.farmpage.com/index.cfm?show=4&id=14946

>>>"Because you can't detect BSE in cattle under 30 months of age, the USDA said the testing method in the U.S. needs to be science-based," Pentz said. "That's what they said but I bet some U.S. scientists would disagree with that." <<<

actually;

"Furthermore, current studies into transmission of cases of BSE that are atypical or that develop in young cattle are expected to amplify the BSE prion"

NO. Date conf. Farm Birth place and Date Age at diagnosis

8. 2003.10.6. Fukushima Tochigi 2001.10.13. 23

9. 2003.11.4. Hiroshima Hyogo 2002.1.13. 21

Test results

# 8b, 9c cows Elisa Positive, WB Positive, IHC negative, histopathology negative

b = atypical BSE case

c = case of BSE in a young animal

b,c, No PrPSc on IHC, and no spongiform change on histology

reference

International Symposium of Prion Diseases held in Sendai, October 31, to
November 2, 2004.

The hardback book title is 'PRIONS' Food and Drug Safety
T. Kitamoto (Ed.)

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Japan

(SPRINGER 2005) no url

also;

the myth that cattle under 30 months of age are free from BSE/TSE is
just that, a myth, and it's a false myth !

the youngest age of BSE case to date is 20 months old; As at: 31 May
2003 Year of onset Age youngest case (mnths) Age 2nd youngest case
(mnths) Age 2nd oldest case (yrs.mnths) Age oldest case (yrs.mnths) 1986
30 33 5.03 5.07 1987 30 31 9.09 10.00 1988 24 27 10.02 11.01(2) 1989 21
24(4) 12.00(2) 15.04 1990 24(2) 26 13.03 14.00 1991 24 26(3) 14.02 17.05
1992 20 26 15.02 16.02 1993 29 30(3) 14.10 18.10 1994 30(2) 31(2) 14.05
16.07 1995 24 32 14.09 15.05 1996 29 30 15.07 17.02 1997 37(7) 38(3)
14.09 15.01 1998 34 36 14.07 15.05 1999 39(2) 41 13.07 13.10 2000 40 42
17.08 19.09 2001 48(2) 56 14.10 14.11 2002 51 52 15.08 15.09(2) 2003 50
62 11.11 14.11

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/bse-statistics/bse/yng-old.html

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/index.html

The implications of the Swiss result for Britain, which has had the most
BSE, are complex. Only cattle aged 30 months or younger are eaten in
Britain, on the assumption, based on feeding trials, that cattle of that
age, even if they were infected as calves, have not yet accumulated
enough prions to be infectious. But the youngest cow to develop BSE on
record in Britain was 20 months old, showing some are fast incubators.
Models predict that 200-300 cattle under 30 months per year are infected
with BSE and enter the food chain currently in Britain. Of these 3-5
could be fast incubators and carrying detectable quantities of prion.

http://www.sare.org/htdocs/hypermail/html-home/28-html/0359.html

> USDA Wants Science-Based BSE Tests

GW, Johanns et al 'science based' approach is to do the 'end around' the Honorable Phyllis Fong,
what i like to call the 'Fong Syndrome', which they did with this 3rd documented suspect mad cow
that again WB was not used and the sample this time was left on a shelf for months, simply forgotten
about per Johanns et al, and accidently put in preservative as to render any further analysis with WB
for confirmation impossible. AND if all else fails, just send the most suspect stumbling and staggering
mad cows straight to the render, without any TSE testing at all. simply amazing. now that is what I call
science base surveillance. that is the GW BSE MRR policy for all, with TSEs for free. ...

North America, Canada, Mexico and USA now BSE GBR III.http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/efsa_scientific_reports/gbr_assessments/573_en.html

TSS

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