WASHINGTON: Ag Sec resists ‘downer’ cow ban - (Associated Press)
February 28, 2008 – 8:31 pmhttp://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gjgIDJ5Z2xZSLp6TUi-kRcCFXmPgD8V3IJMO0
WASHINGTON U.S. Agriculture Secretary Edward T. Schafer was cited as telling a Senate hearing Thursday that calls from Democratic senators for a complete ban on so-called downer cattle those unable to walk from entering the food supply were excessive, but did announce new steps to ensure the safety of the country’s meat supply, including more random inspections of slaughterhouses and immediate audits of the 23 plants that supply meat for federal programs, primarily school lunches.
Schafer said that downer cattle could occasionally enter the food supply safely, in accordance with USDA rules, after an additional inspection by a veterinarian, stating, “The rules say if one goes down you call the veterinarian to make a judgment. Today I’m convinced the rules in place are such where we are protecting the supply.
Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., chairman of the Senate Appropriations agriculture subcommittee, was quoted as saying, “We cannot allow a […]
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