| Spring-Summer
2004• Volume XIII, Number 2-3
Too Little, Too Late: Mad Cow Makes Its
U.S. Debut
Mad cow disease first appeared in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s.
Because North American livestock rendering and feeding practices
are similar to those in Britain, it seemed only a matter of time
before the disease hit the United States. And it was. On December
22, 2003, the first U.S. case was reported.
Three years before the discovery, PCRM petitioned the USDA, asking
that it take strong steps to protect the public from mad cow disease
and its human equivalent, the new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
(vCJD). Specifically, the agency was urged to:
- Ban the use of animal-derived livestock feeds for any species,
given the likelihood that animal byproducts will, in turn, be
recycled to ruminants (that is, cows, sheep, and goats).
- Prohibit animal byproducts in all medications, supplements,
or cosmetics.
- Label all foods containing animal byproducts (such as gelatin
or “natural flavorings”), indicating both the presence
of animal byproducts and the species of origin.
- Provide warning labels on all foods that carry a risk of vCJD,
using standards similar to those for tobacco and alcohol products.
- Institute comprehensive monitoring programs to check for diseased
animals and humans in the United States.
PCRM is again urging USDA secretary
Ann Veneman to institute its original recommendations, but
the agency’s close ties to the beef industry raise questions
about its willingness to do so. |
In the wake of the new case of mad cow disease in the United States,
the USDA announced a ban of certain animal byproducts, such as mechanically
separated beef, skull, brain, and spinal cord, for use in the human
food supply, but it is unclear where these products will eventually
end up. If they are rendered into pet food or used in medications,
supplements, and cosmetics, the risk of prion infection will not
be eliminated.
PCRM is again urging USDA secretary Ann Veneman to institute its
original recommendations, but the agency’s close ties to the
beef industry raise questions about its willingness to do so. Secretary
Veneman’s chief of staff Dale Moore, press secretary Alisa
Harrison, deputy undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs
Chuck Lambert, and senior advisor for food and nutrition Elizabeth
Johnson have all been employed by the National Cattlemen’s
Beef Association.
The Right to Know
A bill introduced by Congresswoman Nita Lowey, HR 467, also known
as the Food Ingredient Right to Know Act, would require that foods
containing spices, flavoring, or coloring derived from meat, poultry,
other animal products (including insects), or known allergens bear
labeling stating that fact. The bill was referred to the Subcommittee
on Health in February 2003. Readers can back the bill by asking
their federal representatives to support HR 467 (visit www.house.gov).
While you’re at it, ask the Food and Drug Administration to
grant the November 17, 1999, petition filed by the Vegetarian Legal
Action Network that would require manufacturers to expose the source
of origin of the “natural flavors” in their food. Visit
www.veggielawyers.org to learn more.
What You Can Do
Contact the FDA to urge action on this petition. Remember to include
the docket number (99P-5106) in any correspondence, whether by regular
mail, email, or phone.
Call: 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)
Write: Dockets Management Branch
Food and Drug Administration
Room 1061
5630 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20852.
Email: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
A menu change: The most effective way to cut the risk of meat-related
diseases is to leave it off the menu. Ask PCRM for a free Vegetarian
Starter Kit.
Media
Center | Health | Research
| About PCRM | Catalog
| Join Us | Search
| Site Index | Home
The site does
not provide medical or legal advice. This Web site is for information purposes
only.
Full Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
|
