Chew On This: USDA against private BSE testing

Sometimes you have to wonder whose interests the United States Department of Agriculture represents. The USDA currently tests around one percent of slaughtered beef cattle for BSE. Creekstone Farms Premium Beef doesn't believe that is anywhere near enough. It tests every single one of its Black Angus cattle for BSE - bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which the Brits, its first known victims, call Mad Cow Disease. Creekstone pays for the testing itself. You'd think the USDA would applaud its public spirit and safety drive. No. It took Creekstone, a Kansas meat packer, to court to prohibit the company from running private tests. And won the case.

Then just over a year ago, a U.S. District Court trial in Washington ruled that prohibition unlawful. Did the USDA hang its head in shame? No. It went to appeal and last Friday oral arguments were heard.

The USDA's stand is that testing doesn't guarantee food safety. It might result in a 'false positive' and scare consumers, the government body asserts.

The nation's massive meatpacking conglomerates have teamed up against Creekstone's testing initiative, saying it might put unfair pressure on them to test all their beef cattle for BSE too. It might not be unreasonable to suppose that they are concerned that the cost of this would have to be passed on to consumers - which major meatpackers must worry they wouldn't appreciate. Do you suppose it's these industry titans who might be behind the USDA's position?

What do you want? Cheap meat, or safe meat. Isn't the USDA striving for a safe food supply? On May 19 there was a ground beef recall of 22,481 pounds that may contain bits of plastic. Maybe I should take ketchup with that...