FDA to rethink animal feed rule due to mad cow

WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration may tighten
its ban on feeding cattle remains to other mammals as a way to prevent any
more cases of mad cow disease, a senior agency official told Reuters on
Wednesday.

Since 1997, the FDA, which regulates livestock feed, has banned feeding
cattle remains to other cattle. But farmers are still allowed to feed pigs,
chicken and household pets this material as a form of cheap protein in their
diet.

Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said the
agency believes the Holstein cow in Washington state contracted mad cow
disease after eating infected animal feed as a young animal.

The infected cow was believed to be born in 1999, two years after the FDA
feed ban was in place.

"We will have to reassess in light of this case whether or not our feed
rules are continuing to be adequate or if we need to change," Sundlof said
in an interview.

Federal health officials are trying to track down all the farms,
slaughterhouses, beef processing plants and renderers that handled material
from the four-year-old dairy cow.

The FDA does not yet know what rendering plants received the central nervous
tissue from the cow after its slaughter. "I haven't gotten any confirmation
on who they are yet," Sundlof said.

Scientists believe mad cow disease is spread by the consumption of beef
contaminated with diseased brain or spinal column material.

U.S. beef processing plants typically send renderers cattle parts that are
unfit for food. This unwanted material can then be processed into a variety
of other products, such as pet food and animal feed.

Once the renderer is pinpointed in the Washington state case, a voluntary
recall may be necessary depending on what products the plant made, Sundlof
said. "If we found that they were going into product that they weren't
supposed to, obviously we would initiate a recall," he said.

If the renderer was using the infected material for such things as poultry
feed, no recall would be necessary, Sundlof said. Scientists don't believe
the disease can spread to poultry. 12/24/2003 01:25 p.m.CDT

From: "Steve"

WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration may tighten
its ban on feeding cattle remains to other mammals as a way to prevent any
more cases of mad cow disease, a senior agency official told Reuters on
Wednesday.


It's about time! Feeding cows animal products is insane. No wonder we now
have mad cow disease.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: "Steve"

WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration may tighten
its ban on feeding cattle remains to other mammals as a way to prevent any
more cases of mad cow disease, a senior agency official told Reuters on
Wednesday.


It's about time! Feeding cows animal products is insane. No wonder we now
have mad cow disease.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: olitter (PawsForThought)

It's about time! Feeding cows animal products is insane. No wonder we now
have mad cow disease.

I think judging by the misleading and evasive remarks you've made on this ng,
you must have contracted this disease a long time ago. Don't forget to call
your other friends who are quite mad--namely, little Annie Martin and Liz from
Brazil. I'm sure they would love to spin this to support their mad
conspiracies! LOL

BTW, are cows vegetarians? Are cows supposed to eat other animals? If not,
then why do they?

From: olitter (PawsForThought)

It's about time! Feeding cows animal products is insane. No wonder we now
have mad cow disease.

I think judging by the misleading and evasive remarks you've made on this ng,
you must have contracted this disease a long time ago. Don't forget to call
your other friends who are quite mad--namely, little Annie Martin and Liz from
Brazil. I'm sure they would love to spin this to support their mad
conspiracies! LOL

BTW, are cows vegetarians? Are cows supposed to eat other animals? If not,
then why do they?

From: (GAUBSTER2)

BTW, are cows vegetarians? Are cows supposed to eat other animals? If not,
then why do they?

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! I see you are still the same little dumb twit!
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: (GAUBSTER2)

BTW, are cows vegetarians? Are cows supposed to eat other animals? If not,
then why do they?

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! I see you are still the same little dumb twit!
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

PawsForThought wrote:

From: "Steve"


WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration may tighten
its ban on feeding cattle remains to other mammals as a way to prevent any
more cases of mad cow disease, a senior agency official told Reuters on
Wednesday.



It's about time! Feeding cows animal products is insane. No wonder we now
have mad cow disease.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

Actually, if I've heard correctly, a ban was instituted here in the U.S.
back in 1997 forbidding animal protein in cattle feed. Now, this is not
true for all livestock, but this is why they are more baffled than usual
why this particular cow developed MCD. She's young enough that the
chances of her being fed contaminated feed are pretty slim compared to 5
or 6 years ago.

PawsForThought wrote:

From: "Steve"


WASHINGTON, Dec 24 (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration may tighten
its ban on feeding cattle remains to other mammals as a way to prevent any
more cases of mad cow disease, a senior agency official told Reuters on
Wednesday.



It's about time! Feeding cows animal products is insane. No wonder we now
have mad cow disease.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

Actually, if I've heard correctly, a ban was instituted here in the U.S.
back in 1997 forbidding animal protein in cattle feed. Now, this is not
true for all livestock, but this is why they are more baffled than usual
why this particular cow developed MCD. She's young enough that the
chances of her being fed contaminated feed are pretty slim compared to 5
or 6 years ago.

BTW, are cows vegetarians? Are cows supposed to eat other animals? If not,
then why do they?

Because mechanically recovered meat is, or used to be, used in the
making of feed pellets...