Japan; Study Shows U.S. Would Have Missed 9 Cases of Mad Cow Disease

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBW6SSD6BE.html

Japan Concerned After Study Shows U.S. Would Have Missed 9 Cases of Mad Cow Disease

TOKYO (AP) - Japanese food safety regulators were questioning the safety of U.S. beef after a Ministry of Agriculture study showed nearly half of the 20 mad cow cases found in Japan would have passed unnoticed under U.S. testing methods, officials said Friday.

Scientists on a Food Safety Commission panel have called for more details on a second case of confirmed mad cow disease in the United States, a move that could delay a decision to resume American beef imports, expected in late August, officials said.

The ministry report, submitted to the panel Thursday, showed that nine of the 20 cows found to have mad cow disease in Japan would have been sent to market because they looked healthy according to U.S. testing methods.

The result prompted concern among the panel, ministry spokesman Hiroyuki Kamakawa said. He said they want to assess the extent of mad cow infections in the U.S. to calculate the risk of excluding healthy-looking cows from testing. Japan tests all cows before slaughter while the U.S. only tests those that display signs of the disease.

[bemildred]

1. Gimmee a BigMac(tm). Gimmee two.

Although I must say that given Japan's rather casual attitude about industrial pollution, worrying about MadCow Disease seems a bit illogical.

[NNN0LHI]

2. I have already concluded that I would rather have Mad Cow Disease...

...than quit eating hamburgers. I might be going to Wendy's today. Going to get some of that chili with the fingers in it too. Its the best. I can taste the Frosty right now.

Don

[MisterP]

8. you might want to check if they're peppering smack in those patties in the

back kitchen...

[WhiteTara]

6. death from industrial pollution is

a rather easy death compared with BSE. Just some lung failures, heart failures, that sort of thing. No falling down with richter's

[bemildred]

9. I consider cancers and birth defects to be fairly serious dues to pay.

But opinions will vary. CJD is certainly an ugly business, like Alzheimers, but the risk is much smaller than for that or other pollution related illnesses.

[WhiteTara]

11. I forgot my sarcasm button

I too find that the hideous effects of cancer before death to be mind numbing. But I saw a picture of a woman in the last throes of the disease and it was beyond hideous. Enough to make me quit eating any beef that was not organic and local.

[bemildred]

12. Sorry, you never know here.

I'll remember you next time unless the disease sets in.
:hi:

[mtnester]

3. We rarely eat beef, and only if we know the cow.

Anytime we eat beef, it is from a local farmer, and we have seen the cow, and it has not been fed parts, only corn and grass and fodder, and it is the corn and fodder the farmer grows. The farmer we buy farms organically, so the grass is good too.

We actually do not eat hardly any meat anymore, and we know the farmer on anything we do eat, including chickens and pork. Eggs we get locally too, same for veggies. We also try to grow, in our small spot, as many veggies as we can for ourselves.

My father and hubby and I are planning to farm organically within the next two years. We are in the final stages of letting the earth free itself of the chemicals the farmers who rented the acreage used, so it had to be left alone except for turning in timothy and hay. We are excited!

[uppityperson]

4. Good job, congratulations

Are you going to be selling, or farming for your own use? What about poultry or animals? Get a couple silkie chickens as they love to sit and hatch and are good moms. Small birds, small eggs but wonderful moms.

[mtnester]

5. We will be starting our research on what. etc. this winter

to go truly organic in all respects, we have to let the earth purge for three years, providing a buffer and run off to divert whatever crap the neighboring farmers put on their fields. We have also been improving the soil quality with tillage and cover crops.

We absolutely plan on having chickens, crops, and we also intend to raise meat production animals, as well as some dairy animals. The animals will mostly be for family to start, but we will see how that goes. The crops will be for anyone we can sell to as well as ourselves. Hubby and I are also taking beekeeping classes this fall, and want to produce honey (and the bees are good for the crops, etc!)

We are also lining up contracts with local restaurants and retailers to distribute to. We also expect to see a loss the first couple of years, or at best a break even (not counting sweat hours).

We are realistic, and hopeful, and thanks on the tip on the silkies! Eggs are eggs, and so what if you have to use 4 of them to equal two...if anyone has never eaten a fresh egg, you would be in for a dang treat.

[FlaGranny]

10. We have been using

mostly organically raised chickens and buffalo lately. We can also get organic eggs in the supermarket, although they cost twice as much.

What you really can tell the difference in, though, is the chicken. My uncle had a chicken farm when I was a kid in the 1940's. I haven't tasted chicken like that since then, until now. Although he had too many chickens to free range (they were for egg production), they were kept in very large coops and were not confined to cages. They were fed grains and they were able to catch various bugs, too.

Chickens are great "insecticides." In fact, after you harvest your vegetables, you can let the chickens loose in your vegetable garden to eat all the insects they can find. While they are ridding your garden of insects, they are fertilizing it for the next growing season.

[Endangered Specie]

7. I think Ill have steak tomorrow.