Organic Beef Provides Choice to Families Concerned About Mad Cow (press release)

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The following position on Mad Cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was announced today by Michael Levine, president of Organic Prairie Family of Farms, one of the nation's leading organic beef producers.

There is inadequate testing of cattle. Of the 36 million cattle slaughtered in 2004 in the United States and put into the human and animal food supply, only 176,468 were tested. In at least three instances U.S. cattle have tested as possibly having mad cow disease on sophisticated "quick tests," but further testing has led the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to announce the results to be negative. However, the government testing is secretive and suspect. No independent scientists or laboratories have reviewed or confirmed any of the suspected mad cows. (Stauber, 2/14/05)

The USDA's response has been inadequate. A case of Mad Cow disease found in a Canadian-born animal in the U.S. in December of 2003 threw the industry into turmoil, and the U.S. closed its borders to cows from Canada. Many countries then banned the importation of beef from the U.S., causing further havoc. The USDA had hoped to reopen the Canadian border through its Final Rule published Jan. 4, 2005, but a court action has temporarily halted that process. The litigation asserts that the Final Rule is woefully inadequate. Among other things, it does not require adequate testing of animals entering the U.S., or require Canada to remove all SRMs (specified risk material - defined as the brain, spinal cord, intestine, eyes and tonsils) from cattle of all ages from human food. (The Final Rule only requires the removal of tonsils and small intestines of cattle under 30 months of age.)

Industry pressure is prohibiting adequate protection. The steps needed to fix the problem are simple and straightforward, but the USDA has bowed to industry pressure and resisted their implementation. While other countries have successfully implemented a practice of testing every animal for BSE, the USDA claims that it is not feasible. The most obvious prevention for Mad Cow is to prohibit the feeding of livestock to livestock, which has been linked to the emergence of this new, fatal disease. For example, the practice of feeding cattle blood as a protein source to calves, is completely unnatural. However, the U.S. livestock industry has resisted this change, as it would require that they stop using animal byproducts in feed.

The best solution for the public is to use the precautionary principle and purchase certified organic meat. Organic certification standards strictly prohibit feeding any rendered animal by-products to any other animals. Also, because of the strict documentation process required in organic production, all animals are traceable throughout their life cycle (from before birth). Records are kept on feeding practices, and all records are inspected by an independent third party as part of the organic certification process. Organic production also emphasizes humane treatment as well as the ability for animals to engage in natural behaviors, including grazing on pasture when seasonally available. This is a far cry from the practices inherent in today's confinement livestock industry, and it translates into safer, high quality meat.

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