Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE

1
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

• Billy Moss
• Area Livestock Teacher
• North Region Agricultural Education
• February 2004

2
About the U.S. Case

• The U.S. case confirmed in Washington on Dec. 23
  2003, was a 6 ½ year old Holstein cow that was
  non-ambulatory at the time.
• The farm has been quarantined and information has
  been received that indicates the infected cow was
  of Canadian origin.

3
As of December 31, 2004, the following rules will
be implemented in the U.S.

• No downer (non-ambulatory ) animals will be
  processed at slaughter facilities anywhere in the
  country. Your options for them are bury, burn,
  or compost.
• Any animal at slaughter showing symptoms of BSE
  will not be allowed into the food chain until a
  negative BSE test has been confirmed.

4
As of December 31, 2004, the following rules will
be implemented in the U.S.

• Specified Risk Materials (skulls, eyes, nervous
  tissues, etc.) of cattle greater than 30 months
  of age will not be allowed in beef products
  intended for human consumption.
• Air Injection stunning at slaughter plants will
  be prohibited. This process has already been
  largely replaced by captive bolt stunning.

5
As of December 31, 2004, the following rules will
be implemented in the U.S.

• No mechanical separation allowed for beef
  products intended for human consumption. Advanced
  Meat Recovery (AMR) is a method of mechanically
  stripping meat from bone that was developed in
  1994.
• As a result of the BSE case found in Washington
  state, a HIGH priority is being placed on the
  development of a National Animal Identification
  Program.

6
Facts About BSE

• The BSE agent is NOT found in cuts of beef, such
  as steaks and roasts.
• The pryon protein that causes BSE is found in the
  Central Nervous Tissues, such as the brain and
  spinal cord, of the animal.
• BSE has not been proven to be a genetic disease.

7
Facts About BSE (contd)

• BSE is transmitted by the ingestion of
  contaminated feedstuffs. A preponderance of
  evidence suggests that the disease is spread by
  the oral consumption of rendered animal (
  usually consumed as a protein source). The most
  critical animal health control measure - a ban on
  feeding animal ruminant derived meat bone
  meal supplements to cattle has been in place in
  this country since 1997.

8
Facts about BSE (contd)

• The U.S. banned imports of cattle and bovine
  products from countries with BSE beginning in
  1989.
• The U.S. began a surveillance program for BSE in
  1990 and was the first country without the
  disease within its borders to test cattle for the
  disease. The surveillance system targets all
  cattle with any signs of neurological disorder as
  well as those over 30 months of age that are
  non-ambulatory.

9
Facts about BSE (cont)

• USDA has recently placed a ban on feeding poultry
  litter to beef cattle. The concern is that
  poultry feed, which contains meat and bone meal
  (which is a cheap source of protein), could
  provide BSE infection in beef cattle.

10
What have we learned as a result of this
singular case of BSE being discovered in the U.S.?

• The value of beef exports in this country amounts
  to 10 of the total beef produced. It is an
  important 10. In addition to the high quality
  cuts of beef we ship out of country, we also
  export livers, short ribs, tongues, etc. for more
  than they are worth here, so we derive extra
  value from those premium products, thus creating
  a valuable niche market for items that would be
  of lesser value in the states.

11
What have we learned as a result of this
singular case of BSE being discovered in the U.S.?

• As a country, we import mostly 86-90 lean beef
  product from countries such as Australia and New
  Zealand. These imports go primarily to fast food
  outlets.
• There is an additional 45M of beef/week extra
  when we cant export. It will have to be ground
  up for burger instead of sold at a premium.

12
What have we learned as a result of this
singular case of BSE being discovered in the U.S.?

• There is a complex interaction between imports
  and exports in our industry.
• There needs to be established basic principles of
  trade among nations based on sound science.
• The one advantage we do have is that the market
  place is very current, but with every passing day
  that our export market remains closed, time is
  against us as the cattle on feed add weight to
  the final carcass value.

13
What have we learned as a result of this
singular case of BSE being discovered in the U.S.?

• We must remain consumer confident in the U.S. One
  consistent message the ultimate message that
  we as producers and knowledgeable consumers must
  promote is that BEEF IS SAFE!

14
What have we learned as a result of this
singular case of BSE being discovered in the U.S.?

• An independent authority hired by the NCBA to
  survey the general public about BSE revealed the
  following
• 1. Consumer awareness of BSE is at an all-time
  high. 96 of America has recently heard about
  BSE.
• 2. Consumer confidence levels remain virtually
  unchanged from pre-December 23. 89 of the
  general public believes that beef is safe, with
  75 eating the same amount of beef as before
  December 23.

15
Country of Origin Labeling(COOL)

• Billy Moss
• Area Livestock Teacher
• North Region Agricultural Education
• February 2004

16
Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)

• This concept was brought about to identify U.S.
  meat from foreign meat and would be used as a
  marketing tool to promote beef grown in the U.S.
• COOL legislation was passed in the 2002 Farm Bill.

17
Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)

• The bill would require an origin on covered
  products. All steps in the chain (production,
  feedlot, slaughter, fabricator, distributor, and
  retailer) will be held responsible for accuracy
  of the claim. Non-compliance with the claim can
  result in a 10,000 fine.

18
Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)

• The USDA will require a verifiable record-keeping
  audit trail with a goal of 48 hour traceback in
  any incident.

19
Mandatory Animal ID

• Billy Moss
• Area Livestock Teacher
• North Region Agricultural Education

20
Mandatory Animal ID

• Mandatory Premise and Animal ID is Coming!
  Current discussion holds that a Premise ID will
  first be required, identifying each place of
  production. Individual Animal ID would soon
  follow.

21
How should individual producers prepare for
Mandatory Animal ID?

• Document the origin of every animal on your
  place. You can use the following to get started
• 1.) Bills of Sale If you run stockers or
  background, keep as many records of your purchase
  as you can.
• 2.) Record Books If you are a cow/calf
  operator, ID everything! Start simple write
  down descriptions of each cow and eartag them.
  Record if the animal was home raised or
  purchased. If purchased, record where you bought
  her. With each calf crop, write down birthing
  dates and descriptions.

22
How should individual producers prepare for
Mandatory Animal ID?

• Document the origin of every animal on your
  place. You can use the following to get started
• 3.) Vet and Feed Records buy an 88 cent
  notebook and write down any pertinent
  information. Record the serial and batch numbers
  on any vaccine you administer, as well as the
  date and what group of cattle received it.
• 4) Any others items you feel are inportant to
  tracking the animals in your operation.

23
How should individual producers prepare for
Mandatory Animal ID?

• ID all animals. Start with eartags. A permanent
  tattoo in the ear would be a wise investment.
• Develop an on-farm record keeping system.
• Get as much information as possible in regard to
  future purchases.

24
How should individual producers prepare for
Mandatory Animal ID?

• Expect to have to provide information to verify
  origin of cattle at all future sales.
• Verification may have to be done by a 3rd party
  at some point.
• Use electronic ID and market cattle within a
  system where you will receive production data to
  support management changes.

25
Sources of Information

• www.BSE.org
• www.USDA.org
• Moser Ranch sale catalog
• Newspaper and magazine articles