For
more information contact: Ron Eustice or Michelle Torno (952) 854-6980
Minnesota
Beef Council says US beef continues to be safe,
affordable and abundant
(MINNEAPOLIS)
–Dec. 26, 2003: Following Tuesday’s announcement that a cow in the state of Washington
has tested positive for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), the Minnesota
Beef Council (MBC) supports the aggressive investigation of this case so that
the US continues to lead the world in the availability of an abundant,
affordable and safe beef supply.
Facts
on BSE have been distributed by MBC to all major Minnesota media outlets,
retailers and foodservice. The key message for consumers is that the U.S. beef
supply continues to be one of the safest in the world because of an extensive
set of safeguards that have been put in place.
“The
diagnosis of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in one cow in the state of
Washington proves the U.S. disease surveillance system is working, resulting in
a meat supply that is safe” says MBC Chairman Dennis Swan. "Due
to the strength of the U.S. system and its ability to prevent the spread of BSE,
this is an animal disease story, not a food safety problem," said Swan, a
beef producer from Balaton in southwest Minnesota. "Consumers should
continue to eat beef with confidence."
Within
minutes of USDA's announcement about the single case of BSE, spokespeople from
the Minnesota Beef Council, the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association (MSCA),
Minnesota Department of Animal Health, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture,
University of Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy and
the National Cattlemen's Beef Association conducted scores of interviews
designed to reassure American consumers about the safety of US beef. This public
relations effort will continue as USDA traces the origin of the cow and
investigates the sources of feed consumed by the animal.
Included
in conversations and interviews with the media were explanations of BSE and the
system in place to prevent any potential spread of the disease. A focal point of
the media interviews was discussion of the “firewall” that has been put in
place to keep our beef supply safe.
The
following safeguards are in place to prevent a repeat of the situation that
occurred in Great Britain in the 1990’s:
The
U.S. banned imports of cattle and bovine products from countries with BSE
beginning in 1989.
A
surveillance program for BSE was initiated in 1990, making the U.S. the
first country in the world without BSE to test cattle for the disease. The
surveillance system targets all cattle with any signs of neurological
disorder, as well as those over 30 months of age and animals that are
non-ambulatory.
The
third firewall in the system is a 1997 Food and Drug Administration
mandatory ban on feeding ruminant-derived meat and bone meal supplements to
cattle. This is the component that will prevent any potential spread of BSE
to other animals. BSE does not spread from animal to animal, only through
feed sources.
Also
a part of media discussion was the comprehensive, multi-year risk analysis
conducted at Harvard University that concluded that while there is a risk of BSE,
the U.S. is prepared to prevent the spread of the disease.
MBC
Executive Director, Ron Eustice in a reassuring message for consumers says,
"Current science indicates the BSE agent is not found in whole muscle meat,
such as steaks and roasts, only in central nervous tissue, which is not commonly
consumed in the U.S." It is also important for consumers to understand
that BSE does not affect the lactation system.
“Therefore milk and
milk products are considered safe,” adds Eustice.
Additional
Facts About BSE:
What
is Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy?
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE is an incurable and apparently
infectious disease that attacks the brain and nervous system of cattle. Symptoms
may include stumbling, muscle twitching, quivering, strange behavior, a drop in
milk production, the inability to stand, and eventually death.
What
causes BSE?
Contaminated feed causes BSE. Evidence indicates that BSE likely occurred
because U.K. cattle consumed contaminated animal feed. The contaminant was
rendered animal protein.
How
does BSE spread? BSE
is not contagious therefore it does not spread from animal to animal or from a
living cow to humans. BSE only spreads to animals through the ingestion of
contaminated feed.
What
has the U.S. done to prevent the spread of BSE?
The U.S. began a surveillance
program for BSE in 1990 and was the first country without evidence of the
disease to test for it. The surveillance system targets all cattle with any
signs of a neurological disorder as well as those over 30 months of age and
animals that are non-ambulatory. The U.S. utilizes a
"triple firewall" strategy. First, the U.S. protects its borders.
Since 1989, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) banned the import of
cattle from countries with BSE. Second, the U.S. conducts vigilant surveillance
at processing plants. No animal can be processed in a USDA inspected plant
without a veterinary inspection. If cattle show any symptoms that could possible
indicate BSE, they are removed from the plant and tested. Third,
in 1997, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration instituted a mandatory ban on
feeding ruminant-derived meat and bone meal supplements to cattle because of
their ability to transmit the agent that causes BSE.
Does
eating beef from BSE-infected animals make people sick?
Whole muscle cuts such as steaks and roasts are considered totally safe.
However, there is evidence that neurological tissue such as brains and spinal
cord from an infected animal may cause variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD),
a neurological disorder similar to classic CJD. None
of these tissues (brain and spinal cord) are used in foods for human consumption
in the United States. There has been no evidence that BSE is found in skeletal
muscle tissues that are consumed by humans. While some 140 cases of vCJD have been diagnosed in
the U.K. since 1986, these figures show how rare the disease is, and lend
support to the theory that contracting vCJD may require a combination of
exposure to BSE and a genetic predisposition to vCJD.
Is milk from an infected cow safe to drink?
BSE does not affect the lactation system, therefore milk
and milk products are considered safe.
Additional information on the cow in Washington and the safety of U.S. beef can be found on www.mnbeef.org or www.bseinfo.org.