From what I've read BFE can be transmitted thru bone marrow. So, any steaks w/the bone in have been in contact w/the marrow. Bonemeal used in gardening, which is easily inhaled. Gelatins, which r added to all kinds of foods for thickening, are made from collegen fron cows bone/bone marrow. White sugar is somehow processed w/bone marrow to whiten it. This may explain how those who don't eat beef contracted mad cow.
I also saw on another message board that they recalled all the parts (hooves and the like)from this farm in Washington State that were sent to many different manufactures that boil them down to make candles, creams and lotions. Now, I don't understand why they would be concerned w/this unless somehow even lotions and creams r a threat to humans, which doesn't go along with just the spine and brain being a threat. ????? I'm full of questions.
Here's some info I've found, sorry it's too long and a repeat of what's already been posted
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20031223-103657-3424r
snip:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Although the United States Department of Agriculture insisted the U.S. beef supply is safe Tuesday after announcing the first documented case of mad cow disease in the United States, the agency for six months repeatedly refused to release its tests for mad cow to United Press International.
The USDA claims to have tested approximately 20,000 cows for the disease in 2002 and 2003, but has been unable to provide any documentation in support of this to UPI, which first requested the information in July.
snip:
Finally, UPI threatened legal action in early December if the agency did not respond.
In a Dec. 17 letter to UPI from USDA Freedom of Information Act Office Andrea E. Fowler, the agency wrote: "Your request has been forwarded to the (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) for processing and to search for the record responsive to your earlier request."
this article also mentions that former USDA vets have "long suspected" that mad cow is present in the US.
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Here is why milk and dairy products may be
the key to passing on Mad Cow Disease to humans:
The active substance that causes Mad Cow Disease to spread
to humans and causes a brain-wasting encephalopathy called
Cruetzfeld Jacob Disease (CJD) is the Prion. Prions
are protein fibrils, crystalline in structure. They
are not destroyed by Pasteurization.
Since one single cows filters 10,000 quarts of blood through
her udder each day, chances are that an infected cow has
spread her disease to humans in her milk. Ten pounds of
milk are required to make one pound of hard cheese. Twelve
pounds of milk make one pound of ice cream. Twenty-one
pounds of milk make one pound of butter."
http://www.notmilk.com/m.html
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300 US Companies Violating Mad Cow Rules
List of the companies at
http://www.foe.org/factoryfarms/feedregviolators.htm
An FDA announcement dated Oct. 10 is at:
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/index/updates/bsedata.htm
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release October 10, 2003
Mad Cow Prevention Rules Violated by 300 U.S. Companies FDA Asked to Take Action to Protect Public Health and Farmers
Washington, D.C. - A total of 300 U.S. companies are in violation of federal regulations meant to prevent Mad Cow disease, also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). The data comes from the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) own database of animal feed company inspection records updated this week for the first time in 17 months. The number of companies violating the law is more than double the number listed by the FDA in April 2002.
The regulations are meant to prevent cattle and other ruminant parts from being fed to cattle and other ruminants, a form of animal cannibalization once commonly practiced and now considered most likely to spread Mad Cow disease. The disease is suspected of causing a deadly brain disorder in humans called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Human symptoms, which may not appear for 20 years, include hallucinations, loss of memory, dementia, uncontrollable crying or screaming, and inability to speak or walk. There is no known cure for the disease which is always fatal.
"Just one bad apple in the barrel could put Americans a risk of getting Mad Cow disease," said Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth, the group that disclosed the increase in violators as well as numerous lapses in FDA data. "In addition to the risks posed to consumers, it would cost the U.S. cattle industry billions to recover, just like it cost the Canadian cattle industry earlier this year."
As part of its prevention program, the FDA inspects feed companies in the United States to determine whether they are in compliance with federal Mad Cow prevention rules, which include keeping feed made with cattle parts separate from feed for cattle and labeling feed with the banned material. The company database is maintained by the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. A new version was posted at
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/index/bse/RuminantFeedInspections.htm Oct. 7.
Of 300 firms in violation of FDA regulations, 173 handle or distribute prohibited materials. And 32 of these handle both prohibited materials and ruminant feed, making them the most likely firms to spread Mad Cow disease. Additionally, 1779 records out of 11,172 have no listing of any action taken by the FDA after it completed its own inspection.
"Given the terrible costs to Canadian farmers of just one mad cow, you would think that the FDA would have perfected their system by now. If cattle ranchers and dairy operators want to know where to buy safe feed, the information available from FDA is insufficient," said John Kinsman, who owns dairy cattle and is president of the Wisconsin-based group Family Farm Defenders. A bull in Canada was infected with Mad Cow in May 2003 and an eighth incidence of Mad Cow was announced in Japan this week. No reports have occurred in the United States, but only 9 percent of downer cattle (animals that cannot walk, exhibit symptoms of neurological disease, and/or that die or are killed for reasons other than routine slaughter) are tested in the United States compared to 100 percent in the European Union and Japan.
"As long as U.S. federal oversight is weaker than that in other nations and loopholes in Mad Cow prevention regulations exist, the safest way for individuals to avoid the disease is to eat organic, grass fed beef or know the farmer who produced it," continued Kinsman.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/violations101103.cfm
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I'm also NOT trying to be alarmist, just believe in passing on the facts.
Just wanted to add how just Friday on the news we were told it would probably be months before we knew where this cow came from, if we ever know. Then, Wham, the next day they come out saying the cow came from Canada. It reminded me of that song from South Park, "Blame Canada". Atleast Canada tested the cow before it was sent to the slaughter house and out to the public! The funny thing is that cow in Canada did come from the U.S. We didn't hear that on the news down here but my family in Canada heard it on their news. Plus, even if the Washington state cow is from Canada it came here years ago and could of contracted BFE here from the feed.
One more thing...what about our pets? These "downer" cows r often used for dog and cat foods! Why r we not testing EVERY downer cow? Could be $$$$, the bottom line.
Just some food for thought.
Nikita