Once again mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy [BSE]) has surfaced in the U.S. This week the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed BSE in a California dairy cow. USDA has taken the position that milk from BSE-infected cattle is safe for human consumption. Dairy cattle are, however, often processed into meat for human consumption when they are no longer productive milkers. Tissue from infected cows’ central nervous systems (including brain or spinal cord) is the most infectious part of a cow. Such tissue may be found in hot dogs, taco fillings, bologna and other products containing gelatin, and ground or chopped meat.
Filed under: Factory Farming, Food Safety, Politics and Policy | 1 Comment »
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) applauds the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today for issuing industry guidance limiting the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals. Antibiotics are essential tools in both human and animal medicine but mounting evidence has linked persistent use of these drugs in animal production to the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant organisms. “This is an important step in protecting the public from the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” said Paige Tomaselli, Attorney for the Center for Food Safety. “But it’s high time that FDA takes drastic measures to eliminate all non-therapeutic uses of all antibiotics in food animal production.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is 
