IB10127
Mad Cow Disease: Agriculture Issues for Congress
October 27, 2004

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Summary:

In December 2003 a Holstein dairy cow in Washington State tested positive for BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease), the first case discovered in the United States and the second native case in North America. The animal was born in April 1997 in Canada, shortly before both countries banned the practice of feeding most ruminant material back to ruminants, including cattle (BSE-contaminated feed is considered the most likely cause of infection). Most countries banned U.S. beef after the December discovery. Several have partially reopened. Japan and Korea, the number one and three U.S. markets, respectively, remained closed, although officials on October 23, 2004, reported some progress toward resuming trade with Japan. USDA projects that total global exports in 2004 likely will reach only 18% of their 2003 level of about 2.5 billion pounds. However, strong domestic demand and tight cattle supplies have kept U.S. meat and cattle prices relatively high. USDA and other experts contend that the risk to human health from one or a few U.S. BSE cases is minimal. Nonetheless, USDA intensified efforts to improve BSE safeguards, including banning downer (nonambulatory) cattle from human food; keeping from the food supply additional higher-risk animal parts; accelerating work on a national animal identification system for disease purposes; and increasing funds for BSE-related activities. On January 26, 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it would strengthen its own BSE rules, banning higher-risk bovine materials from the human foods and cosmetics it regulates and tightening feed restrictions. On July 14, 2004, FDA published an interim final rule to prohibit certain cattle-derived materials in agencyregulated products. Also on July 14, FDA joined USDA in publishing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on possible additional preventive actions, including possibly tighter animal feed rules. USDA in June 2004 began an expanded surveillance program to test at least 220,000 mostly higher-risk cattle for BSE over a 12-18 month period. At the start, the Department's testing was criticized as statistically and procedurally flawed; USDA has vigorously defended it even while making modifications. As of October 25, more than 92,000 had been tested, none positive for BSE. In May 2004, in response to a lawsuit, USDA officials acknowledged they had erred administratively by permitting millions of pounds of previously suspended Canadian beef cuts to enter. A court agreement now limits such imports to lower-risk products until appropriate rulemaking is completed. Various congressional committees have been holding BSE hearings. BSE-related bills include legislation to ban downers for food (H.R. 2519, S. 1298), to prescribe mandatory animal ID and/or meat traceability rules (H.R. 3546, H.R. 3787, H.R. 3822, H.R. 3961, H.R. 4005, S. 1202, S. 2008, S. 2070), and to require BSE tests on most cattle (H.R. 3705), as well as other bills (S. 2051, S. 2007, S. 2451, H.R. 3714, H.R. 4001, H.R. 4121, H.R. 4576).