Hide association gives reaction to BSE case
30/04/2012
This is the fourth case of BSE confirmed in the US. The animal in question was 10 years and seven months old and came from a dairy farm in Tulare County, California. USHSLA has emphasised that the animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption and that it presented no risk to human health at any time. Its carcass was held at a rendering facility and then destroyed, along with the hide, the organisation said.
According to the US department of agriculture (USDA), a longstanding system of three interlocking safeguards against BSE protect both public and animal health in the United States. The most important safeguard is the removal of specified risk materials, or the parts of an animal that would contain BSE should an animal have the disease, from all animals presented for slaughter. The second safeguard is a strong feed ban that protects cattle from consuming feed that might contain the disease. The third safeguard—which led to this detection— is an ongoing BSE surveillance programme that allows USDA to detect the disease even if it exists at very low levels in the US cattle population.
“This provides assurances to consumers and international trading partners that the interlocking system of safeguards in place to prevent BSE is functioning correctly,” USDA has said.
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