A Washington state farmer recently posted a letter on his Web site
alleging he killed a cow tainted with spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) -- better known as mad cow disease. What follows is an interesting
first-person account of his attempts to make those facts known to
the USDA along with a general warning about lax governmental regulation
getting in the way of public health.
According to his letter, the governmental machinery currently in
place to prevent diseases like mad cow from spreading slowed the
discovery process to a crawl.
For example, once the farmer extracted a brain sample from the
cow, it took two weeks to receive results from a USDA lab in Ames,
Iowa. In the meantime, however, it took just one day to bring that
meat to market.
From there, the farmer describes his feelings about the USDA and
the overall casual attitude about health regulation in this country
that is, again, more focused on protecting the private interests
of big business and maintaining the flow of commerce than keeping
its citizens safe from a deadly disease.
A portion of his letter also deals with how far beyond the food
chain BSE affects public health, even for those who don't eat
meat. Parts of cows are used to produce:
- Makeup
- Gelatin capsules
- Animal feed
In the meantime, the Washington farmer has been busy talking to
the media in the Northwest about his concerns. The result of his
efforts: The legislature in his home state has changed state laws
to protect residents from BSE and the farmer has met with California
officials who pledge they will modify their health laws too.
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