Congress to Sample School Lunches

Congress to Sample School Lunches

12/16/2009 9:41:00 AM

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will serve a sampling of traditional school lunch menu items to members of Congress next week to illustrate improvements its has made in the nutritional quality and taste of the $1.2 billion in school commodity foods and as well as win support to boost funding to continue reworking menus, reported the Washington Post.

http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2009/12/congress-to-sample-school-lunches.aspx


USDA will offer lawmakers a sampling of school lunches Agency seeks boost in funding to continue reworking menus

By Jane Black Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 11, 2009

Chicken fajita strips, sliced ham and canned green beans: That's what's for lunch one day next week for some lawmakers and congressional staffers, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The menu offers the same products, known as commodity foods, that the agency provides every day to public schools across the nation.

The goal of next week's tasting is to show lawmakers the improvements the department has made in the nutritional quality -- and taste -- of the $1.2 billion in school commodity foods and to win support to fund further improvements. With one-third of American children overweight or obese, the USDA has been working to cut salt and fat and provide more fruits and vegetables.

"These guys are moving in the right direction," said Tony Geraci, food service director for Baltimore City public schools and a pioneer for healthful foods in schools. "Is it fixed? Hell, no. But at least now we're having conversations about this. Before, it was straight-up stonewalling."

The tasting is also an attempt to rehabilitate the reputation of the commodity foods program, which provides 15 to 20 percent of the food served in U.S. school cafeterias. Officially called USDA Foods, the program has long been perceived as a conflict of interest in the department's mission: to support American farmers and ranchers while overseeing nutrition programs for low-income families and schoolchildren.

Is the program a way to distribute meats, cheeses and other commodities that couldn't find a buyer on the open market? Or is the department really making choices based on public health?

Improving the quality of food provided free to schools is important at a time when school budgets are being squeezed. President Obama has proposed an additional $1 billion for child nutrition programs, including school lunch, in his 2010 budget.

But in the face of a projected federal deficit of $1.3 trillion , even the strongest supporters of school-lunch reform say that Congress is unlikely to approve a substantial funding increase when it takes up the issue next year.

To prepare for the Capitol Hill debut next week, the USDA offered samples to Secretary Tom Vilsack, who tried more than a dozen products, including canned green beans, apple slices and hamburger patties.

On paper, anyway, the green beans looked good. They are formulated to meet USDA specifications and have 64 percent less sodium than commercially available canned beans. For the 2010 school year, the agency has mandated that canned vegetables have no more than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving, 71 percent fewer than in the Food and Drug Administration's "healthy" standard.

The hamburger patties, developed for a pilot program last year to help fight childhood obesity, were 95 percent lean. The most similar commercial beef patty available is 92 percent lean.

The USDA offers more than 180 fresh and processed foods to schools, up from 54 in 1981. The products are provided to schools free, based on the number of students eligible for government assistance. Schools buy the rest of their ingredients from commercial suppliers.

School food directors say the quality of available commodities is excellent -- if schools choose wisely. The USDA offers high-quality dried fruits, nuts, brown rice, legumes and unprocessed meat, among other things.

Last month, the USDA announced that as part of the bonus commodity program, which is part of the commodity foods program and allows the agency to buy surplus food to help support prices for farmers, it would make available $33 million worth of apples, tart cherries and dried plums to schools and other programs. Some of the cherries will be processed into cherry-apple juice, with no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, for schools.

At least one challenge remains: persuading schools to embrace the more healthful options. Many schools lack kitchens and are at most capable of reheating prepared items. And many school food service directors do not have nutrition or culinary training.

They also know that they can sell more trays of greasy pizza and french fries to students than fruits and vegetables, a tactic that helps keep tight budgets in line. As food service director Geraci said: "If you have 20,000 lunch ladies that just want to open up a box of chicken nuggets, they're going to keep making them."

To encourage more healthful choices, the USDA is awaiting help from Congress when it takes up the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act next year. As part of the legislation, lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow the department to set strict standards for all food sold in schools, including vending machine fare. They are also considering how much new money to allocate to the $12 billion annual program.

Vilsack said he hopes Congress will make more money available.

"The nutritional value of these foods is going to be a little bit more expensive," said Vilsack, who said that he expects costs will rise as more students are granted access to free or reduced-price meals. "We've been making progress on the food safety side and on the nutrition side. But to take the next steps, it's going to require more resources."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/10/AR2009121001956.html



>>>To prepare for the Capitol Hill debut next week, the USDA offered samples to Secretary Tom Vilsack, <<<


>>>who tried more than a dozen products, including canned green beans, apple slices and hamburger patties. <<<



Greetings,

Holy mad cow, this will be just like those token slaughter house inspections and such they do for Japan, Korea, and the other trading partners. Tell them way in advance, and then serve em up the best. Give me a break. I wonder if some of those Congressman/woman were served up some dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for mad cow disease, and other dangerous pathogens, like our children were for 4+ years, via the NSLP ? This should have NEVER happened. No, we must not let them forget. They refuse to speak of it, and I can't forget. It must not happen again. Hopefully, all this is not just hot air coming out of Washington, and indeed Congress plans on cleaning house. I have seen this hot air before, time and time again, and in the end, nothing but hot air. Case in point, the mad cow feed ban of August 4, 1997, and the Surveillance for BSE and other TSE. Your only kidding yourself if you don't think these children were not exposed to high risk dead stock downers. it should never happen again. but they hid it under the guise, (the beef recall), the largest ever (at that time), they mask this beef recall as 'animal abuse'. I don't get it. How was this beef tainted by animal abuse? I don't condone animal abuse, but what about child abuse ? and who will watch our children for the next 5+ decades for CJD ? with our CJD human TSE surveillance system in the USA, even if they are detected (?), they will go down as sporadic, or some odd phenotype that is spontaneous or some odd TSE from nothing $

The PrP TSE mad cow agent in humans can incubate up to 50+ years in some cases, in other cases, not so long. so, come back in 50+ years and confirm this. junk science, industry friendly regulations, and or just not complying with existing regulations have been rampant over the past 12 years I have been paying attention, it has been the norm. maybe sound science will prevail in the end, maybe not. but feeding children diseased and sick cows via the NSLP was flat wrong, and anyone that thinks the largest beef recall there from, was just because a few animals were abused, well, they too are just flat wrong as well. ...

WHO WILL WATCH THE CHILDREN FOR CJD OVER THE NEXT 5 + DECADES ???

Do you actually believe that the USDA et al jumped in on the law suit against Westland/Hallmark, at the time the largest beef recall in USA history, just because a few animals were abused on a video, or to cover their ass, for letting our children, from school district to school district, from state to state, be fed dead stock downer cows.

>>> In the papers, the government alleges the meatpacking plant slaughtered and processed downer cows for nearly four years — from January 2004 to September 2007 — at the average rate of one every six weeks... <<<


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/09/suit-meatpacker-used-downer-cows-for-4.html


Do you actually believe all these schools recalled this meat because of a few cattle being abused,

see list ;


FNS All Regions Affected School Food Authorities By State United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service National School Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008


http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/safety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf


IF url does not work above, go to this link to find out if any of your children and their school were part of this recall ; go to this site ;


http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/


left hand corner search ; Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co.


Beef Recall your should get this ; http://65.216.150.153/texis/search?pr=FNS
1 through 1 of 1 matching documents, best matches first. sort by date 1: Hallmark - Westland SFA Reporting by State - 3-24-2008.xls Lunch Program March 24, 2008 School Food Authorities Affected by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Co. Beef Recall February 2006 - February 2008 The U.S. Department of Agriculture ...



http://www.fns.usda.gov/...ety/Hallmark-Westland_byState.pdf




PLEASE SEE ALSO ;



Members of The HSUS are also concerned about the meat products provided to their children through the National School Lunch Program. More than 31 million school children receive lunches through the program each school day. To assist states in providing healthful, low-cost or free meals, USDA provides states with various commodities including ground beef. As evidenced by the HallmarkNVestland investigation and recall, the potential for downed animals to make their way into the National School Lunch Program is neither speculative nor hypothetical.



http://biotech.law.lsu.edu/cases/FDA/hsus-v-schafer-usda-complaint.pdf



Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. snip... The rancher was a ''dead stock'' feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle...


http://web.archive.org/web/20030516051623/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf


Friday, September 4, 2009

FOIA REQUEST ON FEED RECALL PRODUCT 429,128 lbs. feed for ruminant animals may have been contaminated with prohibited material Recall # V-258-2009


http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/09/foia-request-on-feed-recall-product.html


Saturday, August 29, 2009


FOIA REQUEST FEED RECALL 2009 Product may have contained prohibited materials Bulk Whole Barley, Recall # V-256-2009


http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/08/foia-request-feed-recall-2009-product.html


C O N F I R M E D


----- Original Message ----- From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." To: Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 9:25 PM Subject: [BSE-L] re-FOIA REQUEST ON FEED RECALL PRODUCT contaminated with prohibited material Recall # V-258-2009 and Recall # V-256-2009

http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2009/11/re-foia-request-on-feed-recall-product.html


PLEASE be aware, for 4 years, the USDA fed our children all across the Nation dead stock downer cows, the most high risk cattle for BSE aka mad cow disease and other dangerous pathogens. who will watch our children for CJD for the next 5+ decades ???

SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM FROM DOWNER CATTLE UPDATE

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/05/who-will-watch-children.html


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/


please see full text here ;


Tuesday, November 17, 2009

SEAC EFFECT OF AGE ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES SEAC 103/2

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2009/11/seac-effect-of-age-on-pathogenesis-of.html


Wednesday, November 18, 2009

R-CALF: 40 Groups Disagree With USDA's Latest BSE Court Submission

http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/11/r-calf-40-groups-disagree-with-usdas.html


Monday, October 19, 2009

Atypical BSE, BSE, and other human and animal TSE in North America Update October 19, 2009

http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/10/atypical-bse-bse-and-other-human-and.html


Sunday, September 6, 2009

MAD COW USA 1997 SECRET VIDEO

http://madcowusda.blogspot.com/2009/09/mad-cow-usa-1997-video.html


U.S.A. HIDING MAD COW DISEASE VICTIMS AS SPORADIC CJD ? see video at bottom

http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/07/usa-hiding-mad-cow-disease-victims-as.html



DAMNING TESTIMONY FROM STANLEY PRUSINER THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER ON PRIONS SPEAKING ABOUT ANN VENEMAN see video

http://maddeer.org/video/embedded/prusinerclip.html


CVM Annual Report Fiscal Year 2008: October 1, 2007-September 30, 2008

PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG AND TAKING HER TO A DANCE...TSS

BSE Feed Rule Enforcement: A Decade of Success OFF TO A FAST START

http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2008/06/texas-firm-recalls-cattle-heads-that.html



2009 UPDATE ON ALABAMA AND TEXAS MAD COWS 2005 and 2006


http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2006/08/bse-atypical-texas-and-alabama-update.html


Tuesday, December 1, 2009

IMPORTATION OF CANADIAN CATTLE, BISON, SHEEP, AND GOATS INTO THE UNITED STATES 12/1/09


http://usdameatexport.blogspot.com/2009/12/importation-of-canadian-cattle-bison.html


Monday, November 30, 2009

USDA AND OIE COLLABORATE TO EXCLUDE ATYPICAL SCRAPIE NOR-98 ANIMAL HEALTH CODE


http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2009/11/usda-and-oie-collaborate-to-exclude.html


Monday, November 23, 2009

BSE GBR RISK ASSESSMENTS UPDATE NOVEMBER 23, 2009 COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND O.I.E.


http://docket-aphis-2006-0041.blogspot.com/2009/11/bse-gbr-risk-assessments-update.html


Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Intraspecies transmission of L-type-like bovine spongiform encephalopathy detected in Japan


http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2009/12/intraspecies-transmission-of-l-type.html




*** Monday, December 14, 2009 R.I.P. MOM ***

Similarities between Forms of Sheep Scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Are Encoded by Distinct Prion Types


http://nor-98.blogspot.com/2009/12/similarities-between-forms-of-sheep.html



NAIS COOL BSE


http://naiscoolyes.blogspot.com/2009/12/nais-cool-from-farm-to-fork-mad-cow.html



Saturday, December 05, 2009

Molecular Model of Prion Transmission to Humans

http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/12/molecular-model-of-prion-transmission.html


Thursday, November 05, 2009

Incidence and spectrum of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease variants with mixed phenotype and co-occurrence of PrPSc types: an updated classification

http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/11/incidence-and-spectrum-of-sporadic.html


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Characteristics of Established and Proposed Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Variants

http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/08/characteristics-of-established-and.html


Sunday, August 09, 2009

CJD...Straight talk with...James Ironside...and...Terry Singeltary... 2009

http://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2009/08/cjdstraight-talk-withjames.html


Saturday, June 13, 2009

Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States 2003 revisited 2009

http://cjdusa.blogspot.com/2009/06/monitoring-occurrence-of-emerging-forms.html


JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY

MARCH 26, 2003

Send Post-Publication Peer Review to journal:

Re: RE-Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob

disease in the United States

Email Terry S. Singeltary:

flounder9@verizon.net

I lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant CJD). I would like to comment on the CDC's attempts to monitor the occurrence of emerging forms of CJD. Asante, Collinge et al [1] have reported that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. However, CJD and all human TSEs are not reportable nationally. CJD and all human TSEs must be made reportable in every state and internationally. I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85%+ of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route/source. We have many TSEs in the USA in both animal and man. CWD in deer/elk is spreading rapidly and CWD does transmit to mink, ferret, cattle, and squirrel monkey by intracerebral inoculation. With the known incubation periods in other TSEs, oral transmission studies of CWD may take much longer. Every victim/family of CJD/TSEs should be asked about route and source of this agent. To prolong this will only spread the agent and needlessly expose others. In light of the findings of Asante and Collinge et al, there should be drastic measures to safeguard the medical and surgical arena from sporadic CJDs and all human TSEs. I only ponder how many sporadic CJDs in the USA are type 2 PrPSc?

http://www.neurology.org/cgi/eletters/60/2/176#535


LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL

Volume 3, Number 8 01 August 2003

Newsdesk

Tracking spongiform encephalopathies in North America

Xavier Bosch

My name is Terry S Singeltary Sr, and I live in Bacliff, Texas. I lost my mom to hvCJD (Heidenhain variant CJD) and have been searching for answers ever since. What I have found is that we have not been told the truth. CWD in deer and elk is a small portion of a much bigger problem.

49-year-old Singeltary is one of a number of people who have remained largely unsatisfied after being told that a close relative died from a rapidly progressive dementia compatible with spontaneous Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). So he decided to gather hundreds of documents on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) and realised that if Britons could get variant CJD from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), Americans might get a similar disorder from chronic wasting disease (CWD)the relative of mad cow disease seen among deer and elk in the USA. Although his feverish search did not lead him to the smoking gun linking CWD to a similar disease in North American people, it did uncover a largely disappointing situation.

Singeltary was greatly demoralised at the few attempts to monitor the occurrence of CJD and CWD in the USA. Only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal TSEs should be reportable nationwide and internationally, he complained in a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2003; 285: 733). I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85% plus of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route or source.

Until recently, CWD was thought to be confined to the wild in a small region in Colorado. But since early 2002, it has been reported in other areas, including Wisconsin, South Dakota, and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Indeed, the occurrence of CWD in states that were not endemic previously increased concern about a widespread outbreak and possible transmission to people and cattle.

To date, experimental studies have proven that the CWD agent can be transmitted to cattle by intracerebral inoculation and that it can cross the mucous membranes of the digestive tract to initiate infection in lymphoid tissue before invasion of the central nervous system. Yet the plausibility of CWD spreading to people has remained elusive.

Part of the problem seems to stem from the US surveillance system. CJD is only reported in those areas known to be endemic foci of CWD. Moreover, US authorities have been criticised for not having performed enough prionic tests in farm deer and elk.

Although in November last year the US Food and Drug Administration issued a directive to state public-health and agriculture officials prohibiting material from CWD-positive animals from being used as an ingredient in feed for any animal species, epidemiological control and research in the USA has been quite different from the situation in the

UK and Europe regarding BSE.

Getting data on TSEs in the USA from the government is like pulling teeth, Singeltary argues. You get it when they want you to have it and only what they want you to have.Norman Foster, director of the Cognitive Disorders Clinic at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI, USA), says that current surveillance of prion disease in people in the USA is inadequate to detect whether CWD is occurring in human beings; adding that, the cases that we know about are reassuring, because they do not suggest the appearance of a new variant of CJD in the USA or atypical features in patients that might be exposed to CWD. However, until we establish a system that identifies and analyses a high proportion of suspected prion disease cases we will not know for sure. The USA should develop a system modelled on that established in the UK, he points out.

Ali Samii, a neurologist at Seattle VA Medical Center who recently reported the cases of three hunterstwo of whom were friendswho died from pathologically confirmed CJD, says that at present there are insufficient data to claim transmission of CWD into humans; adding that [only] by asking [the questions of venison consumption and deer/elk hunting] in every case can we collect suspect cases and look into the plausibility of transmission further. Samii argues that by making both doctors and hunters more aware of the possibility of prions spreading through eating venison, doctors treating hunters with dementia can consider a possible prion disease, and doctors treating CJD patients will know to ask whether they ate venison. CDC spokesman Ermias Belay says that the CDC will not be investigating the [Samii] cases because there is no evidence that the men ate CWD-infected meat. He notes that although the likelihood of CWD jumping the species barrier to infect humans cannot be ruled out 100% and that [we] cannot be 100% sure that CWD does not exist in humans & the data seeking evidence of CWD transmission to humans have been very limited.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473309903007151/%20fulltext


>>>he complained in a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA 2003; 285: 733). 

I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85% plus of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route or source.<<<

actually, that quote was from a more recent article in the Journal of Neurology (see below), not the JAMA article...

Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Singeltary, Sr et al. JAMA.2001; 285: 733-734. Vol. 285 No. 6, February 14, 2001 JAMA Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

To the Editor: In their Research Letter, Dr Gibbons and colleagues1 reported that the annual US death rate due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been stable since 1985. These estimates, however, are based only on reported cases, and do not include misdiagnosed or preclinical cases. It seems to me that misdiagnosis alone would drastically change these figures. An unknown number of persons with a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in fact may have CJD, although only a small number of these patients receive the postmortem examination necessary to make this diagnosis. Furthermore, only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies should be reportable nationwide and internationally. Terry S. Singeltary, Sr Bacliff, Tex 1. Gibbons RV, Holman RC, Belay ED, Schonberger LB. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States: 1979-1998. JAMA. 2000;284:2322-2323.

FREE FULL TEXT

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/285/6/733?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=singeltary&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT


http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/285/6/733?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=singeltary&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT


Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Susceptibilities of Nonhuman Primates to Chronic Wasting Disease

snip...

From: TSS (216-119-163-189.ipset45.wt.net)

Subject: CWD aka MAD DEER/ELK TO HUMANS ???

Date: September 30, 2002 at 7:06 am PST

From: "Belay, Ermias"

To:

Cc: "Race, Richard (NIH)" ; ; "Belay,

Ermias"

Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 9:22 AM

Subject: RE: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG HUNTERS

Dear Sir/Madam,

In the Archives of Neurology you quoted (the abstract of which was attached to your email), we did not say CWD in humans will present like variant CJD.

That assumption would be wrong. I encourage you to read the whole article and call me if you have questions or need more clarification (phone: 404-639-3091). Also, we do not claim that "no-one has ever been infected with prion disease from eating venison." Our conclusion stating that we found no strong evidence of CWD transmission to humans in the article you quoted or in any other forum is limited to the patients we investigated.

Ermias Belay, M.D.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

-----Original Message-----

From:

Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 10:15 AM

To: rr26k@nih.gov; rrace@niaid.nih.gov; ebb8@CDC.GOV

Subject: TO CDC AND NIH - PUB MED- 3 MORE DEATHS - CWD - YOUNG

HUNTERS

Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:26 PM ......snip........end..............TSS

snip...

see full text ;


http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2009/08/susceptibilities-of-nonhuman-primates.html


http://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/


2 January 2000

British Medical Journal

U.S. Scientist should be concerned with a CJD epidemic in the U.S., as well

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/320/7226/8/b#6117


15 November 1999

British Medical Journal

vCJD in the USA * BSE in U.S.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/319/7220/1312/b#5406


THE PATHOLOGICAL PROTEIN

BY Philip Yam

Yam Philip Yam News Editor Scientific American http://www.sciam.com/

http://www.thepathologicalprotein.com/


SEE REVISITING SPORADIC CJD BY PHILIP YAM THE PATHOLOGICAL PROTEIN

Answering critics like Terry Singeltary, who feels that the U.S. undercounts CJD, Schonberger conceded that the current surveillance system has errors but stated that most of the errors will be confined to the older population. ...

http://books.google.com/books?id=ePbrQNFrHtoC&pg=PA224&lpg=PA224&dq=pathological+protein+philip+yam+singeltary&source=bl&ots=um-LytTT2E&sig=hQVJotGvhvffOsN2fsIDfk2SHXw&hl=en&ei=CaWBSrDLCIKUtgeg_eTVCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false


2008

The statistical incidence of CJD cases in the United States has been revised to reflect that there is one case per 9000 in adults age 55 and older. Eighty-five percent of the cases are sporadic, meaning there is no known cause at present.

http://www.cjdfoundation.org/fact.html


Friday, November 30, 2007

CJD QUESTIONNAIRE USA CWRU AND CJD FOUNDATION

http://cjdquestionnaire.blogspot.com/


Saturday, June 13, 2009

Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States 2003 revisited 2009

http://cjdusa.blogspot.com/2009/06/monitoring-occurrence-of-emerging-forms.html


Terry S. Singeltary Sr., P.O. Box 42, Bacliff, Texas USA 77518

wasted days and wasted nights...Freddy Fender

stupid is, as stupid does...Forest Gump

USDA ANNOUNCES PROPOSED RULE FOR REQUIREMENTS OF THE DISPOSITION OF DOWNER CATTLE

Release No. 0218.08 Contact: Amanda Eamich (202) 720-9113

Printable version Email this page

USDA ANNOUNCES PROPOSED RULE FOR REQUIREMENTS OF THE DISPOSITION OF DOWNER CATTLE

WASHINGTON, DC - August 27, 2008 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a proposed rule to amend the Federal meat inspection regulations to initiate a complete ban on the slaughter of cattle that become non-ambulatory after initial inspection by Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspection program personnel.

This proposed rule follows the May 20 announcement by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer to remove the provision that states that FSIS inspection program will determine the disposition of cattle that become non-ambulatory disabled after they have passed ante-mortem, before slaughter, inspection on a case-by-case basis. Under the proposed rule, all cattle that are non-ambulatory disabled at any time prior to slaughter, including those that become non-ambulatory disabled after passing ante-mortem inspection, will be condemned and properly disposed of.

"To maintain consumer confidence in the food supply, eliminate further misunderstanding of the rule and, ultimately, to make a positive impact on the humane handling of cattle, I believe it is sound policy to simplify this matter by initiating a complete ban on the slaughter of downer cattle," said Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer.

On July 13, 2007, FSIS published the final rule, "Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle; Prohibition of the Use of Certain Stunning Devices Used To Immobilize Cattle During Slaughter," (SRM final rule). The SRM final rule allowed a case-by-case reinspection of cattle to address the rare situations where an animal that is deemed by FSIS as fit for human food at ante-mortem inspection subsequently suffers an acute injury.

Under the proposed rule, cattle that become non-ambulatory disabled from an acute injury after ante-mortem inspection will no longer be eligible to proceed to slaughter as "U.S. Suspects." Instead, FSIS inspectors will tag these cattle as "U.S. condemned" and prohibit these animals from proceeding to slaughter. Establishments will be required to notify FSIS personnel when cattle become disabled after passing ante-mortem inspection.

Of the nearly 34 million cattle that were slaughtered in 2007, less than 1,000 cattle that were re-inspected were actually approved by the veterinarian for slaughter. This represents less than 0.003 percent of cattle slaughtered annually.

Comments on this proposed rule must be received on or before September 29th, 2008. Comments can be sent to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 2534 South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, D.C. 20250; e-mailed to fsis.regulationscomments or submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. All submissions received by mail or electronic mail must reference the Food Safety and Inspection Service and include the docket number FSIS-2008-0022.

For further technical information on the proposed rule, contact Dr. Daniel Engeljohn, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Policy and Program Development, at (202) 205-0495 or by fax at (202) 720-2025.

NOTE: Access news releases and other information at FSIS' Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/.



http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/08/0218.xml




Subject: A Quantitative Assessment of the Possible Role of Nonambulatory Cattle in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy in the United States... Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 14:15:00 -0600 From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy To: mailto:BSE-L@uni-karlsruhe.de




http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/08/quantitative-assessment-of-possible.html




2008

Thursday, February 21, 2008

TRANSCRIPT: Technical Briefing - Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company - (02/21/08)

Release No. 0054.08



http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/02/transcript-technical-briefing.html



FULL HISTORY OF USDA CERTIFIED DEAD STOCK DOWNER COW SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM



http://downercattle.blogspot.com/



Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. Since previous incidences of TME were associated with common or shared feeding practices, we obtained a careful history of feed ingredients used over the past 12-18 months. The rancher was a "dead stock" feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle and a few horses. Sheep had never been fed.





http://web.archive.org/web/20030331063559/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09a/tab01.pdf


http://web.archive.org/web/20030516051623/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf


40% DIED OVER 8-10 WEEKS TIME !


O.K., just because your children have all been exposed, and evidently continue to be exposed, could potentially die a horrific death from CJD in the years and or decades to come, could expose who knows how many more people via friendly fire i.e. iCJD in the years and or decades to come, should this be cause for alarm ?


[Docket No. 03-025IFA] FSIS Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirement for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle

03-025IFA 03-025IFA-2 Terry S. Singeltary

9/13/2005



http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments/03-025IFA/03-025IFA-2.pdf




second line of lies... i mean defense i.e. fda mad cow feed ban ;

Friday, April 25, 2008

Substances Prohibited From Use in Animal Food or Feed [Docket No. 2002N-0273] (Formerly Docket No. 02N-0273) RIN 0910-AF46



http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2008/04/substances-prohibited-from-use-in.html




Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Atypical BSE (BASE) Transmitted from Asymptomatic Aging Cattle to a Primate



http://bse-atypical.blogspot.com/2008/08/atypical-bse-base-transmitted-from.html




WHY ARE WE STILL DISCUSSING THIS $$$


Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518

A Quantitative Assessment of the Possible Role of Nonambulatory Cattle in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy in the United States Mon, 6 Mar 2000

From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr. (216-119-138-116.ipset18.wt.net) Subject: A Quantitative Assessment of the Possible Role of Nonambulatory Cattle in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy in the United States... Date: March 6, 2000 at 1:05 pm PST

Subject: A Quantitative Assessment of the Possible Role of Nonambulatory Cattle in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy in the United States... Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2000 14:15:00 -0600 From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." Reply-To: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy To: mhtml:%7B33B38F65-8D2E-434D-8F9B-8BDCD77D3066%7Dmid://00000128/!x-usc:mailto:BSE-L@uni-karlsruhe.de

######### Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy #########

A Quantitative Assessment of the Possible Role of Nonambulatory Cattle in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopath¥ in the United States

Background

The emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Great Britain and other countries has focused attention on certain cattle populations in the U.S. One such population is nonambulatory cows. The term nonambulatory cow (or "downer" cow) refers to any cow that is recumbent when the reason for the recumbency is unknown (1,2). Some researchers feel that nonambulatory cows occur secondarily to low blood levels of calcium (2,3), while others suggest that nonambulatory cows occur as a sequela to prolonged recumbency due to a variety of other causes (e.g., mastitis, metritis, calving paralysis, and milk fever) (4). Though many causes for nonambulatory cows have been proposed, most studies have failed to find evidence of any of these conditions in a large fraction of the nonambulatory cows. Nonambulatory cows are alert and unresponsive to therapy if treated. Terminal cows due to a known disease are not considered nonambulatory. For the purpose of this report, the term nonambulatory cow refers to a cow that is culled because it is unable to stand.

BSE is a neurologic disorder that affects cattle. BSE has occurred in-seven countries, and is believed to have been initiated through the feeding of meat and bone meal contaminated with sheep scrapie. BSE is not known to exist in the U.S., but it has been suggested that an unidentified transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE} may-be present in U.S. nonambulatory cows (5). This hypothesis is based on an alleged association between feeding nonambulatory cattle to mink and outbreaks of transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) (6,7). There have been five reported outbreaks of TME in the United States; one in 1947, three in the early 1960's, and one in 1985. The outbreaks in the early 1960's were associated with common food sources and movements between farms (8). The large fraction of nonambulatory cases that are due to unknown cause provides a basis for the hypothesis that a TSE may exist in U.S. cows and be a source of TME. The purpose of this report is to describe the occurrence and disposition of nonambulatory cows in States with both dairy and mink industries, and to assess the potential role of these cattle in the transmission of a spongiform encephalopathy.

Nonambulatory Cow Prevalence and Disposition

The prevalence of nonambulatory cattle in the U.S. is difficult to estimate due to the numerous options for disposition of such animals. Nonambulatory cows may go to Federal or State slaughter plants, to rendering plants, be custom slaughtered, sold locally, or killed and disposed on the premises (Figure 1). Of particular interest are the number sold locally to mink producers. The greatest number of nonambulatory cows are believed to go to rendering. Rendering facilities do not maintain records on numbers and causes of nonambulatory cows as nonambulatory cows represent only a small fraction of incoming rendered product,

Figure I (NOT AVAILABLE...TSS) Page 21

and acquisitions are made by drivers who are not trained nor charged with responsibility to assess reasons for moribundity.

Three sources of information on the prevalence and disposition of nonambulatory cows were utilized for this report: a review of the literature; State-inspected slaughter plants that slaughter nonambulatory cattle exclusively; and a survey to determine incidence and disposition patterns at the farm level.

Literature Review

The reported incidence of nonambulatory cows varies with the definition used. The annual incidence of nonambulatory cows was 21.4 per 1,000 cow-years at risk, in dairy herds participating in the Dairy Herd Improvement Association in Minnesota in 1983. Cows unable to stand for no obvious reason, including those that eventually recovered, were considered to be nonambulatory (1). A prospective study of 34 dairy herds in New York revealed that 28 nonambulatory cow cases occurred out of 7,763 lactations (4,092 animals) during a 4-year period, or 3.6 per 1,000 cow-years at risk (9). For that study, cows that recovered were not reported as nonambulatory.

Concerning disposition of nonambulatory cattle, Milian-Suazo et al. (10) reported that more than one-half of nonambulatory cows were culled in the same lactation. It has also been reported that some mink ranchers have contracts with local slaughter plants to pick up nonambulatory or dead cows (8). The entire carcass is reportedly ground into feed at the mink facility.

Antemortem Slaughter Inspection in Federal and State Plants

One possible endpoint for nonambulatory cows is a Federal or State slaughter plant. The United States Department of Agriculture: Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA:FSIS) maintains a record of animals condemned antemortem due to a variety of reasons, but there is no category specifically for nonambulatory cows. State-inspected slaughter plants may also accept nonambulatory cows. The only available data on nonambulatory cows from State plants came from Wisconsin, which has the largest number of milk cows in the U.S. and has four State-inspected plants specifically for nonambulatory cows. In 1992, these four plants slaughtered a total of about 10,000 nonambulatory cows (G. Jacobsen, AVIC, USDA:APHIS:VS, personal communication). Neither the number of cows that were condemned antemortem and not slaughtered nor the slaughtered cows' State of origin was known.

Farm-level Information on Numbers and Disposition Patterns

Because data from slaughter were limited and do not capture the fraction of nonambulatory cows going directly from farm to mink producer, a survey was conducted to determine the incidence and disposition of nonambulatory cows at the farm level. Sampling was from States with both dairy and mink industries, and was not random. Seven States were selected based on geographic distribution and ranking by numbers of milk cows and mink bred. Twenty-one dairy practitioners were selected from lists provided by university faculty, dairy organizations, and USDA contacts. Each practitioner was asked to select three herds to sample for the study, one from each of three size categories (small n <--50; medium 51 <> 100) . The number of practitioners selected for each State was calculated based on the number of dairy cows per State. Eight practitioners were contacted in Wisconsin; four in New York; three in Pennsylvania; three in Minnesota; and one each in Idaho, Utah, and Washington. Eighty-one percent (17/21) of the practitioners responded. The response rate by State was 100 percent for New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Idaho; 33 percent for Minnesota; and 0 percent for Washington and Utah. A total of 51 herds was represented.

Page 22

Incidence of Nonambulatory Cows in the Study Sample

Responding veterinarians reported 363 nonambulatory cows out of 13,429 cows on the 51 premises for 1990-1992, for an incidence of 27 per 1,000 cow-years at risk. Incidence of nonambulatory cows was 35, 21, and 28 per 1,000 cow-years at risk for small, medium, and large herds, respectively. There was no evidence of regional differences in rates of nonambulatory cows.

Only those cattle without identifiable reasons for being nonambulatory have been hypothesized as potentially having a TSE. The incidence of nonambulatory cows of unknown cause reported in the study sample for 1992 was 8 per 1,000 cow-years at risk. Nonambulatory cows of unknown cause accounted for 22.8 percent of all nonambulatory cows. Incidence for nonambulatory cows of unknown cause in 1992 was 12, 5, and 8 per 1,000 cow-years at risk for small, medium, and large herds, respectively.

Disposition of Nonambulatory Cows in 1992

For 1992, there were 158 nonambulatory cows reported in the study sample. The initial disposition of more than half of the nonambulatory cows was rendering (Table 1). Most of the remaining nonambulatory cows initially went to slaughter, with those condemned at slaughter potentially going to rendering or to mink producers. Of the 6.3 percent of nonambulatory cows that went directly to mink producers, half had no identifiable reason for being nonambulatory.

Table 1 Initial Disposition of Nonambulatory Cows from 51 Dairies in 1992

Disposition - Number Percent*

Renderer 83 52.5 Regular Slaughter 45 28.5 Mink Producers 10 6.3 Dealer 10 6.3 Custom Slaughter 9 5.7 Livestock Market I 0.6 Total 158 100.0 Totals may not add due to rounding

There was no correlation between distance to disposition site and method of disposition. The average distance from a herd to: the nearest slaughter plant was 29 miles; the nearest renderer was 25 miles; and the nearest mink ranch was 36 miles.

Nonambulatory Cattle as a Potential Source of TSE

In this study, Wisconsin was the only State in which mink producers were reported to receive nonambulatory cows directly from dairies. However, given the small number of surveyed herds this finding is likely a result of the sampling design. Because mink producers pay a premium for nonambulatory cows, it appears reasonable that the practice of feeding nonambulatory cows to mink could occur wherever both large numbers of dairy cows and mink are found. As many as 2,157(3) nonambulatory cows per million milk cows, or a total of 9,482 nonambulatory cows, could have been fed to mink in the 7 surveyed States in 1992. Based on the sample response, only half of those cows would have had an identifiable reason for being nonambulatory. This equates to an estimated 4,741 nonambulatory cows that were, hypothetically, a potential source of TSE in the surveyed States.

(3)This estimate does not account for any nonambulatory cows received from slaughter plants.

Page 23

The five reported outbreaks of TME in the U.S. reveal no discernable trend. Assuming an average of 2,000 mink farms in the U.S. during the last 50 years, one outbreak of TME has occurred per 20,000 mink farm-years. Extrapolating from the data gathered in this study, 66,374 nonambulatory cows have been fed to mink in the 7 surveyed States since the last reported outbreak of TME in 1985. Of those, 33,187 would have had no identifiable reason for being nonambulatory and were hypothetically a potential source of TSE. Given the severity of signs and number of mink affected by TME it is unlikely that outbreaks have gone unreported. If any form Of a TSE (infectious, spontaneous, or other) occurs in U.S. cattle that is transmissible to mink in the form of TME, then it must be exceedingly rare or the conditions for its transmission must be highly specific and unusual. Nonetheless, studies are underway at the State and Federal levels to further characterize the disposition of nonambulatory cows and usage on mink farms.

Summary

Little attention has been given to nonambulatory cows in the past. The emergence of BSE and TME has brought the issue of nonambulatory cows into focus. Limited information is available on the numbers and disposition of nonambulatory cattle in the U.S. Available estimates vary greatly, depending on how the condition is defined. Federal and State slaughter plants provide information on antemortem condemnation rates due to a variety of reasons, but no data exist that capture all nonambulatory cows.

Data from a nonrandom survey of dairy herds in States with mink were used to estimate the incidence of nonambulatory cows between 1990 and 1992. In surveyed herds, the incidence of nonambulatory cows was 27 per 1,000 cow-years at risk. In 1992, the incidence of cows which were nonambulatory for no obvious reason was 8 per 1,000 cow-years at risk. Over half of the nonambulatory cows reported went to rendering. Most of the remaining nonambulatory cows initially went to slaughter and 6.3 percent went directly to mink.

An estimated 4,741 nonambulatory cows hypothetically considered to be potential sources of TSE may have been fed to mink in the 7 surveyed States in 1992. This equates to 33,187 such cows fed to mink since the last reported outbreak of TME in mink. Given this large number of nonambulatory cows fed to mink, the historic and current mink population, and the infrequent occurrence of TME, if TSE exists in cattle in the U.S. it must be very rare or transmissible to mink only under very unusual conditions.

References

(1) Cox, V.S., Marsh, W.E., Steuernagel, G.R. et al. 1986. Downer cow occurrence in Minnesota dairy herds. Prev Vet Med 4:249-260.

(2} Fenwick, D.C. 1969. The downer cow syndrome. Aust Vet J 45:184-188.

(3) Curtis, R.A., Cote, J.F., and Willoughby, R.A. 1970. The downer cow syndrome. A complication, not a disease. Mod Vet Prac 51:25-28.

(4) Cox, V.S. and Onapito, J.S. 1986. An update on the downer cow syndrome. Bovine Prac 21:195-199.

(5) Marsh, R.F. 1992. Transmissible mink encephalopathy, scrapie and downer cow disease: potential links. Proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, Bethesda, MD, pg. 1-7.

Page 24

(6) Marsh, R.F. 1990. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United States. J Am Vet Med Assoc 196(10):1677.

(7) Burger, D. and Hartsough, G.R. 1965. Transmissible encephalopathy of mink. In: Gajdusek, D.C., Gibbs, C.J., and Alpers, M. (eds.) Slow, latent, and temperate virus infections. U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness, Monograph No. 2, pg. 297-305.

(8) Bridges, V., Bleem A., and Walker, K. 1991. Risk of transmissible mink encephalopathy in the U.S. Animal Health Insight, Fall, 1991 pg. 7-14.

(9) Milian-Suazo, F., Erb, H.N., and Smith, R.D. 1989. Risk factors for reason-specific culling of dairy cows. Prev Vet Med 7:19-29.

(10) Milian-Suazo, F., Erb, H.N., and Smitl~, R.D. 1988. Descriptive epidemiolog¥ of culling in dairy cows form 34 herds in New York state. Prev Vet Med 6:243-251.

Page 25

kind regards, Terry S. Singeltary Sr., Bacliff, Texas USA

############ http://mailhost.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de/warc/bse-l.html ############

2008

Thursday, February 21, 2008

TRANSCRIPT: Technical Briefing - Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company - (02/21/08)

Release No. 0054.08



http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/02/transcript-technical-briefing.html



FULL HISTORY OF USDA CERTIFIED DEAD STOCK DOWNER COW SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM



http://downercattle.blogspot.com/



Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. Since previous incidences of TME were associated with common or shared feeding practices, we obtained a careful history of feed ingredients used over the past 12-18 months. The rancher was a "dead stock" feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle and a few horses. Sheep had never been fed.





http://web.archive.org/web/20030331063559/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09a/tab01.pdf


http://web.archive.org/web/20030516051623/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf


TSS

Abuse of downer cattle continues, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., "potentially contaminated meat into the school lunch program"

Group: Abuse of downer cattle continues

By Greg Toppo,

USA TODAY WASHINGTON — The group whose undercover slaughterhouse video last February prompted the largest beef recall in U.S. history alleged on Wednesday that cattle — some of them possibly bound for the National School Lunch Program — are still being abused, this time in livestock auctions. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), an animal rights group, said a new investigation shows dairy cattle being abused last May at a livestock auction in New Mexico. The group said an investigator watched three cows and calves "being mistreated and tormented in order to get them to stand and walk" into an auction ring in Portales, N.M. The group says state inspectors "were present at the auctions and apparently saw much of the abuse."

At HSUS's headquarters, Wayne Pacelle, the group's president, played for reporters a short video that showed, among other images, a stockyard worker kicking a cow, another cow struggling to pull itself forward by its front legs and another being dragged by a hind leg with a chain attached to a Bobcat-type tractor.

A meat industry trade association condemned the handling practices shown in the video, calling them "simply inexplicable."

It was not immediately clear whether the cows in the video were sold at auction or were even the same cows referred to in the investigation.

"We had hoped that this problem would have been taken care of by the regulatory agencies and the private livestock industry," Pacelle said. He added that there's no evidence that the downer cows were slaughtered or, if so, whether the meat found its way into the school lunch program, a major buyer of ground beef.

SCHOOL LUNCHES: Beef recall spotlights real cost of cheap cafeteria meals

"We just don't know" what happened to them, he said.

Pacelle noted that many cows sold at the Portales auction are processed at an Amarillo, Texas, plant that is a top supplier to the program.

American Meat Institute President J. Patrick Boyle said the practices depicted in the video are "harmful to animals and to the industry's reputation. The fact that this occurred is simply inexplicable."

He said humane handling of animals "is both ethically appropriate and has real economic benefits in terms of safer workplaces and better meat quality," and noted that industry guidelines prohibit the dragging of non-ambulatory cattle.

If the animals showed up at a meat packing plant, the group said, "they would most certainly be condemned by federal inspectors as unfit for the food supply."

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who chairs the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, said the revelations of abuse at the auction "are extremely troublesome. Not only are we again witnessing the inhumane treatment of cows and the illegal slaughtering of downed cows for the food supply, but also the distribution of potentially contaminated meat into the school lunch program."

She said USDA should close a federal loophole that allows downer cattle to enter the food supply if, when they're first inspected, they are ambulatory.

On Feb. 17, the Hallmark/Westland Meatpacking Co., based in Chino, Calif., voluntarily recalled 143 million pounds of beef, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture found evidence that plant workers slaughtered "downer" cows — cows that were unable to walk — without a veterinarian inspecting them first.

Hallmark had stopped operations on Feb. 1, after HSUS released an undercover video shot last fall that showed plant workers using forklifts to roll cows that couldn't walk and poking them with electric prods, allegedly to move them to the slaughter box.

No illnesses were reported tied to the Hallmark beef, but downer cattle have been generally prohibited from the U.S. food supply since 2004 because they carry a higher risk of mad cow disease, a fatal brain illness, and E. coli and salmonella contamination.

Until the recall, Westmark was one of the nation's largest suppliers to the National School Lunch Program, supplying about 100 million pounds of beef total to federal food and nutrition programs over the last five years.

Last Friday, Daniel Navarro, a Hallmark slaughterhouse manager, pled guilty to two counts of felony animal cruelty and two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. A co-worker, Rafael Herrera, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in the case last March. He is serving 180 days in jail and is expected to be deported to his native Mexico.

Hallmark has drawn complaints about abusive treatment of animals since at least 1996, USA TODAY reported last March. The 12-year-old allegations of downer cattle being prodded are similar to the recent ones.

Contributing: Associated Press



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-25-downer-cattle_N.htm




>>>Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who chairs the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, said the revelations of abuse at the auction "are extremely troublesome. Not only are we again witnessing the inhumane treatment of cows and the illegal slaughtering of downed cows for the food supply, but also the distribution of potentially contaminated meat into the school lunch program."<<<




yea, but even more troublesome is Waxman et al will hold another 'do nothing' hearing. his committee on OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM and mad cow disease issues and human health is a joke. please see ; Wednesday, November 01, 2006 Weaknesses in FDA's Food Safety System Rep. Waxman releases a fact sheet explaining that the growing incidence of contamination in fresh produce is a symptom of weaknesses in the federal food safety system. Monday, June 26, 2006 Prescription for Harm: The Decline in FDA Enforcement Activity A new report by Rep. Henry A. Waxman examines how the Bush Administration has carried out FDA’s historic enforcement responsibilities. The report is the result of a 15-month investigation that included a review of thousands of pages of internal agency enforcement records. It finds that there has been a precipitous drop in FDA enforcement actions over the last five years. Friday, June 24, 2005 Rep. Waxman's Statement on the United States' Second Confirmed Case of Mad Cow Disease Rep. Waxman comments on the second case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United States. Wednesday, January 05, 2005 New Evidence Raises Questions About Cattle Imports from Canada Rep. Waxman and Sen. Conrad ask Agriculture nominee Michael Johanns to reconsider the decision to allow cattle imports from Canada in light of new information that cattle feed in Canada may be contaminated with animal protein, risking the spread of “mad cow disease.” Tuesday, July 13, 2004 IG Audit Finds Multiple Flaws in Mad Cow Surveillance Plan Rep. Waxman raises questions about the effectiveness and credibility of USDA's response to mad cow disease, citing an audit by the USDA Inspector General that finds systemic deficiencies in the Department's surveillance plan and new evidence that USDA misled the public in the wake of the detection of an infected cow in Washington State. Thursday, May 13, 2004 Failure To Test Staggering Cow May Reflect Wider Problems Rep. Waxman raises concerns that the recent failure of USDA to test an impaired cow for BSE may not be an isolated incident, citing the failure of USDA to monitor whether cows condemned for central nervous system symptoms are actually tested for mad cow disease. Tuesday, February 17, 2004 Washington State "Mad Cow" Walked on Day of Slaughter Reps. Waxman and Tom Davis release eyewitness statements that the cow infected with BSE was not a “downer” cow, as has been claimed – calling into question USDA’s surveillance program for mad cow disease and the agency's credibility. Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Waxman and Kennedy Request GAO Examination of FDA Resource Shortfalls Today Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy wrote to Comptroller General of the United States David Walker requesting an examination of the staffing, information technology, and other resources necessary for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to successfully carry out its oversight of foods, drugs, biologics, and medical devices. COMMITTEE ON Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry A. Waxman, 110th Congress



http://oversight.house.gov/investigations.asp?ID=123


Frankly speaking, these people suck at doing there job of 'oversight'. they may see things i.e. 'oversight', but they do nothing. they ought to just call it a 'tea party', invite some more movie stars, or ball players on roids, for autographs, and call it a day. ...TSS

Owens, Julie From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr. [flounder9@verizon.net] Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 1:09 PM To: FSIS RegulationsComments Subject: [Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] FSIS Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Page 1 of 98 8/3/2006

Greetings FSIS,

I would kindly like to comment on the following ;

[Federal Register: July 12, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 133)] [Notices] [Page 39282-39283] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr12jy06-35] -------------------------------------------------------- --------------- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Update; Notice of Availability and Technical Meeting

snip...


http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-10928.htm



MY comments/questions are as follows ;

1. SINCE the first Harvard BSE Risk Assessment was so flawed and fraught with error after the PEER REVIEW assessment assessed this fact, how do you plan on stopping this from happening again, will there be another peer review with top TSE Scientist, an impartial jury so-to-speak, to assess this new and updated Harvard BSE/TSE risk assessment and will this assessment include the Atypical TSE and SRM issues ?

*** Suppressed peer review of Harvard study October 31, 2002 ***



http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/topics/BSE_Peer_Review.pdf



2. WITH A RECENT NATION WIDE MAD COW FEED BAN RECALL in the past few months that consisted of some 10,878.06 TONS, then another Mad Cow feed ban warning letter in May, IT should seem prudent to ask why our feed bans continue to fail in 2006, and continue to fail today ?

snip...

full text 98 pages ;


http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/Comments/2006-0011/2006-0011-1.pdf



[Docket No. 03-025IFA] FSIS Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirement for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle

03-025IFA 03-025IFA-2 Terry S. Singeltary

Page 1 of 17

From: Terry S. Singeltary Sr. [flounder9@verizon.net]

Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2005 6:17 PM

To: fsis.regulationscomments@fsis.usda.gov

Subject: [Docket No. 03-025IFA] FSIS Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle

Greetings FSIS,

I would kindly like to submit the following to [Docket No. 03-025IFA] FSIS Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle THE BSE/TSE SUB CLINICAL Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle Broken bones and such may be the first signs of a sub clinical BSE/TSE Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle ;

SUB CLINICAL PRION INFECTION

MRC-43-00

Issued: Monday, 28 August 2000

NEW EVIDENCE OF SUB-CLINICAL PRION INFECTION: IMPORTANT RESEARCH

FINDINGS RELEVANT TO CJD AND BSE

A team of researchers led by Professor John Collinge at the Medical

Research Council Prion Unit1 report today in the Proceedings of the

National Academy of Sciences, on new evidence for the existence of a

"sub-clinical" form of BSE in mice which was unknown until now....

full text 17 pages ;


https://web01.aphis.usda.gov/regpublic.nsf/0/eff9eff1f7c5cf2b87256ecf000df08d?OpenDocument



PLEASE NOTE IN REFERENCE TO THE LATEST LONG TERM USDA DOWNER COW SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM CASE STUDY FOR VCJD IN CHILDREN

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (Variant) and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Prion Diseases) Description Since 1996, strong evidence has accumulated for a causal relationship between ongoing outbreaks, primarily in Europe, of a disease in cattle called bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or “mad cow disease”) and a disease in humans called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). Both disorders, which are caused by an unconventional transmissible agent, are invariably fatal brain diseases with incubation periods typically measured in years (1). Transmission of the BSE agent to humans, leading to vCJD, is believed to occur via ingestion of cattle products contaminated with the BSE agent; the specific foods associated with this transmission are unknown. However, a recently published case-control study involving 132 vCJD cases in the United Kingdom (UK) showed evidence of an increased risk for vCJD associated with the frequency of consuming beef products likely to contain mechanically recovered meat and head meat (such as burgers, meat pies, and sausages) (2). Bioassays and molecular tests have enabled identification of what World Health Organization consultants have classified as “high-infectivity” and “lower infectivity” tissues of cattle with BSE (3). The high-infectivity tissues include the brain, spinal cord, retina, optic nerve, and dorsal root and trigeminal ganglia, suggesting that these tissues can pose a relatively high risk of transmission. The lower infectivity tissues include peripheral nerves (e.g., sciatic and facial nerves), tonsils, nictitating membrane (third eye lid), distal ileum, bone marrow, and possibly thigh muscle. The latter tissue from one cow with BSE transmitted disease to highly BSE-sensitive transgenic mice at a rate indicative of trace levels of infectivity.


http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-VariantPrions.aspx



USDA CERTIFIED DEAD STOCK DOWNER COW SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM, the most HIGH RISK animal for BSE mad cow disease, and even more risky here in the USA, where the last two cases of mad cow disease was of the _atypical_ BSE, in Texas and Alabama. THE atypical BSE is more virulent to humans than the U.K. BSE strain. ...TSS


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/



HISTORY OF DEAD STOCK DOWNER COW PROGRAM


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/04/gao-report-on-humane-methods-of.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/usda-certified-dead-stock-downer-cow.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/usda-still-pandering-to-industry-still_27.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/usda-still-pandering-to-industry-still.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/recalled-beef-from-chino-slaughterhouse.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/mad-cow-disease-typical-vs-atypical.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/downer-cow-blues-senators-want.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/mr-will-hueston-dvm-on-school-lunch.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/california-downer-cow-meat-worker-i-was.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/usda-questions-and-answers.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/usda-to-hallmark-we-want-our-plaque.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/house-committee-subpoenas.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/california-lists-possible-recipients-of.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/to-hard-working-employees-of-usda-and.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/02/beef-recall-nationwide-school-lunch.html

http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/02/transcript-technical-briefing.html


NOW, how risky dead stock downer cattle?

let's look at an old (in the field) case study. now, this could never have happened, the USA does not have mad cow disease today, or back then ;-(TSS)...not!

Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy TME (MAD MINK DISEASE)

Over the next 8-10 weeks, approximately 40% of all the adult mink on the farm died from TME. Since previous incidences of TME were associated with common or shared feeding practices, we obtained a careful history of feed ingredients used over the past 12-18 months. The rancher was a "dead stock" feeder using mostly (>95%) downer or dead dairy cattle and a few horses. Sheep had never been fed.



http://web.archive.org/web/20030331063559/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09a/tab01.pdf


http://web.archive.org/web/20030516051623/http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/files/mb/m09/tab05.pdf


Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy TME (MAD MINK DISEASE)


http://transmissible-mink-encephalopathy.blogspot.com/



40% DIED OVER 8-10 WEEKS TIME !


O.K., just because your children have all been exposed, and evidently continue to be exposed, could potentially die a horrific death from CJD in the years and or decades to come, could expose who knows how many more people via friendly fire i.e. iCJD in the years and or decades to come, should this be cause for alarm ?

NOW, ask yourself WHY THE HONORABLE PEOPLE OF KOREA DO NOT WANT USDA CERTIFIED BEEF ?

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Beef Imports to Korea: An Open Letter to President Bush Korean middle school student Chae-song Kim asks that the trade agreement be reconsidered


http://usdavskorea.blogspot.com/2008/06/beef-imports-to-korea-open-letter-to.html


http://usdavskorea.blogspot.com/



Please remember, the last two mad cows documented in the USA i.e. Alabama and Texas, both were of the 'atypical' BSE strain, and immediately after that, the USDA shut down the testing from 470,000 to 40,000 in the U.S. in 2007 out of about 35 million cattle slaughtered. also, science is showing that some of these atypical cases are more virulent to humans than the typical UK BSE strain ;

***Atypical forms of BSE have emerged which, although rare, appear to be more virulent than the classical BSE that causes vCJD.***

Progress Report from the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center

An Update from Stephen M. Sergay, MB, BCh & Pierluigi Gambetti, MD

April 3, 2008


http://www.aan.com/news/?event=read&article_id=4397&page=72.45.45


please see full text with additional comments and links @ ;


http://prionunitusaupdate2008.blogspot.com/


In this context, a word is in order about the US testing program. After the discovery of the first (imported) cow in 2003, the magnitude of testing was much increased, reaching a level of >400,000 tests in 2005 (Figure 4). Neither of the 2 more recently indigenously infected older animals with nonspecific clinical features would have been detected without such testing, and neither would have been identified as atypical without confirmatory Western blots. Despite these facts, surveillance has now been decimated to 40,000 annual tests (USDA news release no. 0255.06, July 20, 2006) and invites the accusation that the United States will never know the true status of its involvement with BSE.

In short, a great deal of further work will need to be done before the phenotypic features and prevalence of atypical BSE are understood. More than a single strain may have been present from the beginning of the epidemic, but this possibility has been overlooked by virtue of the absence of widespread Western blot confirmatory testing of positive screening test results; or these new phenotypes may be found, at least in part, to result from infections at an older age by a typical BSE agent, rather than neonatal infections with new "strains" of BSE. Neither alternative has yet been investigated.


http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no12/06-0965.htm


IF BSE is not in the USA (just not documented for many different reasons), and only atypical BSE is in the USA (plus CWD, plus, many strains of Scrapie, and Now the Nor-98 documented in 5 different states, plus TME, then why would human mad cow in the USA look like the UK nvCJD from UK BSE cows ? it was shown long ago in studies at Mission Texas that experimental transmission of USA Scrapie to USA Bovine, DID NOT LOOK LIKE UK BSE. so again, in short, why would human mad cow in the USA look like human mad cow in the UK i.e. the (nvCJD). however, I believe that BSE has been in the USA untested and undocumented for years. why on earth then does the USDA refuse to allow creekstone or anyone else test their product? simple, if you don't look/test, you don't find.

snip...

please see full text ;


http://cjdmadcowbaseoct2007.blogspot.com/2008/06/portsmouth-woman-did-not-die-of-mad-cow.html


SEE STEADY INCREASE IN SPORADIC CJD IN THE USA FROM 1997 TO 2006. SPORADIC CJD CASES TRIPLED, with phenotype of 'UNKNOWN' strain growing. ...


http://www.cjdsurveillance.com/resources-casereport.html


Communicated by: Terry S. Singeltary Sr.

[In submitting these data, Terry S. Singeltary Sr. draws attention to the steady increase in the "type unknown" category, which, according to their definition, comprises cases in which vCJD could be excluded. The total of 26 cases for the current year (2007) is disturbing, possibly symptomatic of the circulation of novel agents. Characterization of these agents should be given a high priority. - Mod.CP]


http://pro-med.blogspot.com/2007/11/proahedr-prion-disease-update-2007-07.html


http://www.promedmail.org/pls/askus/f?p=2400:1001:6833194127530602005::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1010,39963



There is a growing number of human CJD cases, and they were presented last week in San Francisco by Luigi Gambatti(?) from his CJD surveillance collection.

He estimates that it may be up to 14 or 15 persons which display selectively SPRPSC and practically no detected RPRPSC proteins.


http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/06/transcripts/1006-4240t1.htm


http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/06/transcripts/2006-4240t1.pdf


The statistical incidence of CJD cases in the United States has been revised to reflect that there is one case per 9000 in adults age 55 and older. Eighty-five percent of the cases are sporadic, meaning there is no known cause at present.


http://www.cjdfoundation.org/fact.html


Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Singeltary, Sr et al. JAMA.2001; 285: 733-734.


http://jama.ama-assn.org/http://www.neurology.org/cgi/eletters/60/2/176#535


BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL

BMJ


http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/319/7220/1312/b#5406


BMJ


http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/320/7226/8/b#6117


JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY

MARCH 26, 2003

RE-Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob

disease in the United States

Email Terry S. Singeltary:

flounder9@verizon.net

I lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant CJD). I would like to comment on the CDC's attempts to monitor the occurrence of emerging forms of CJD. Asante, Collinge et al [1] have reported that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. However, CJD and all human TSEs are not reportable nationally. CJD and all human TSEs must be made reportable in every state and internationally. I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85%+ of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route/source. We have many TSEs in the USA in both animal and man. CWD in deer/elk is spreading rapidly and CWD does transmit to mink, ferret, cattle, and squirrel monkey by intracerebral inoculation. With the known incubation periods in other TSEs, oral transmission studies of CWD may take much longer. Every victim/family of CJD/TSEs should be asked about route and source of this agent. To prolong this will only spread the agent and needlessly expose others. In light of the findings of Asante and Collinge et al, there should be drastic measures to safeguard the medical and surgical arena from sporadic CJDs and all human TSEs. I only ponder how many sporadic CJDs in the USA are type 2 PrPSc?


http://www.neurology.org/cgi/eletters/60/2/176#535


THE PATHOLOGICAL PROTEIN Hardcover, 304 pages plus photos and illustrations. ISBN 0-387-95508-9

June 2003

BY Philip Yam

CHAPTER 14 LAYING ODDS

Answering critics like Terry Singeltary, who feels that the U.S. under- counts CJD, Schonberger conceded that the current surveillance system has errors but stated that most of the errors will be confined to the older population.


http://www.thepathologicalprotein.com/


doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(03)00715-1 Copyright © 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Newsdesk

Tracking spongiform encephalopathies in North America

Xavier Bosch

Available online 29 July 2003.

Volume 3, Issue 8, August 2003, Page 463

“My name is Terry S Singeltary Sr, and I live in Bacliff, Texas. I lost my mom to hvCJD (Heidenhain variant CJD) and have been searching for answers ever since. What I have found is that we have not been told the truth. CWD in deer and elk is a small portion of a much bigger problem.”

............................


http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473309903007151/fulltext


http://download.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/1473-3099/PIIS1473309903007151.pdf


Tuesday, May 27, 2008

FDA BSE/Ruminant Feed Inspections Firms Inventory Report Texas Legend Ranch OAI 05/10/2008


http://madcowfeed.blogspot.com/2008/05/fda-bseruminant-feed-inspections-firms.html


A novel human disease with abnormal prion protein sensitive to protease (prionopathy) JUNE 2008


http://cjdmadcowbaseoct2007.blogspot.com/2008/06/novel-human-disease-with-abnormal-prion.html


HUMAN and ANIMAL TSE Classifications i.e. mad cow disease and the UKBSEnvCJD only theory JUNE 2008


http://cjdmadcowbaseoct2007.blogspot.com/2008/06/human-and-animal-tse-classifications-ie.html


Terry S. Singeltary Sr. P.O. Box 42 Bacliff, Texas USA 77518

California DOWNER COW meat worker: I was following orders

Saturday, March 8, 2008 California DOWNER COW meat worker: I was following orders Calif. meat worker: I was following orders

ADELANTO, Calif. (AP) — A former slaughterhouse worker who was videotaped abusing ailing cattle in a case that led to the largest beef recall in U.S. history said in a jailhouse interview that he was only following orders.

Luis Sanchez said he felt bad when he saw how the cows were treated at Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., and insisted his boss taught him to use a forklift to move so-called downer cows along the slaughter line.

HISTORIC RECALL: Meat plant concerns raised for years

LEGAL LOOPHOLE: Government sued over ailing cattle

"That's how I was taught. He taught me to do the work. I didn't know it was a serious crime," Sanchez told the San Bernardino Sun in an interview published Friday.

Sanchez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was being held at the Adelanto Detention Center on immigration charges. He was charged with animal cruelty in the slaughterhouse case, but he also faced charges in two unrelated drug cases.

Sanchez's ex-boss, Daniel Ugarte Navarro, 49, has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts of animal abuse and three misdemeanor counts of illegal movement of a non-ambulatory animal. The counts carry a maximum prison sentence of 5 years, 8 months, prosecutors have said.

Navarro will be assigned an attorney by the county public defender's office at his March 24 arraignment.

Last month, the Agriculture Department issued the recall after the Humane Society of the United States released undercover video of workers forcing sick and crippled cows to stand with electric prods and forklifts.

Sanchez appeared in the video using an electric prod.

Sanchez said he learned the company was handling the cows differently than other slaughterhouses from truck drivers who brought the animals to the plant. He said his supervisor told the workers to use care when federal inspectors were around.

Sanchez, who first came to the slaughterhouse about 10 years ago, said he doesn't understand why he's in jail.

"I think it's unjust that I'm here. Where are the people in charge?" he told the newspaper.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2008-03-08-slaughterhouse-abuse_N.htm



Calif. meat worker: I was following orders

no doubt! i believe the guy, and i believe this practice of allowing downers into the food supply is wide spread.

here is just one more example $$$

Originally posted by worried about the industry

If the sick cattle don't get into the cooler how can anybody make a profit?

It is people like you that will cause the beef industry to colapse with your attitude. Get real. And if you believe as you say I hope you get the first bite of that sick animal.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3/6/2008 1:46 PM Posted By: GW =====================================================snip...end...TSS

YOU REALLY DON'T THINK that all these downers are just buried $$$

Animal Mortality Figures

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates 1.7103 million cattle and 2.3656 million calves died prior to slaughter in 2002, for a total of just under 4.1 million deaths.

snip...

Cattle, however, with their heavier body weights, comprise approximately 67 percent of the total weight of all mammalian livestock mortalities. In 2002, the total weight for cattle was 2.7 billion pounds. Beef cattle account for the largest proportion of farm, ranch, and feedlot mortality, in respect to weight.

snip...

Focus on Non-Ambulatory Cattle

Non-ambulatory cattle have been estimated by USDA to be approximately 200,000 head per year based on a 1999 American Association of Bovine Practitioners survey.(2) It is proposed that this estimate understates the condition by not fully accounting for feedlot cattle of younger ages commonly affected with metabolic and or respiratory disorders that often present neurological-like clinical symptoms and thus described as non-ambulatory. It is impossible to give accurate figures on incidence because of variations in nomenclature and the accuracy of diagnosis. Because it is a syndrome until an accurate diagnosis is confirmed, the exact incidence is speculative.


http://www.rendermagazine.com/October2004/TechTopics.html


MARCH 2002

Livestock Mortalities:

Methods of Disposal and Their

Potential Costs

USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimates that in the year 2000,

approximately 4.1 million cattle died before they could be sent to slaughter (Table 2). Of these, 2.4 million were calves (under 500 lbs), with the balance of 1.7 million over 6 months of age (or, as reported, in excess of 500 lbs). ....END...TSS

NASS

Non-Ambulatory

Cattle and Calves

Released May 5, 2005, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department

of Agriculture. For information on Non-ambulatory Cattle and Calves call Mike Miller at 720-3040, office hours 7:30 a.m. to

4:30 p.m. ET.

Cattle and Calves: Non-Ambulatory Number,

by Region and United States, 2003-2004

ALL CATTLE 2003 = 465,000

ALL CATTLE 2004 = 450,000

SNIP...END...TSS

Non-Ambulatory

Cattle and Calves

Released May 5, 2005, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department

of Agriculture. For information on Non-ambulatory Cattle and Calves call Mike Miller at 720-3040, office hours 7:30 a.m. to

4:30 p.m. ET.

Non-Ambulatory Cattle and Calves

Non-ambulatory cattle and calves in the United States totaled 465,000 head during 2003 and

450,000 head during 2004. The number of non-ambulatory cattle 500 pounds or greater totaled

280,000 head in 2003 and 270,000 head in 2004. The number of calves under 500 pounds reported

as non-ambulatory totaled 185,000 head in 2003 and 180,000 head in 2004.

...SNIP...END...TSS

Friday, March 7, 2008

USDA QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS HALLMARK/WESTLAND MEAT PACKING CO. March 6, 2008

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS HALLMARK/WESTLAND MEAT PACKING CO.

March 6, 2008

Consumer Concerns

Q. My child/school recently consumed Hallmark/Westland products. What is the risk to children's health?

SEE FULL TEXT ;


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/usda-questions-and-answers.html


Wednesday, February 27, 2008

BEEF RECALL NATIONWIDE - SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM UPDATE


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/02/beef-recall-nationwide-school-lunch.html


Thursday, March 6, 2008

California lists possible recipients of recalled non-ambulatory 'DOWNER' (high potential for TSE) Hallmark beef


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/california-lists-possible-recipients-of.html


Thursday, March 6, 2008

House committee subpoenas Hallmark/Westland CEO - i call for an investigation of the investigators


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/house-committee-subpoenas.html


Thursday, March 6, 2008

USDA to Hallmark: We want our plaque back Legal/Regulatory News


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/usda-to-hallmark-we-want-our-plaque.html


Thursday, March 6, 2008

To the hard working employees of USDA and their untiring efforts to protect our childrens food supply


http://downercattle.blogspot.com/2008/03/to-hard-working-employees-of-usda-and.html


In this context, a word is in order about the US testing program. After the discovery of the first (imported) cow in 2003, the magnitude of testing was much increased, reaching a level of >400,000 tests in 2005 (Figure 4). Neither of the 2 more recently indigenously infected older animals with nonspecific clinical features would have been detected without such testing, and neither would have been identified as atypical without confirmatory Western blots. Despite these facts, surveillance has now been decimated to 40,000 annual tests (USDA news release no. 0255.06, July 20, 2006) and invites the accusation that the United States will never know the true status of its involvement with BSE.


http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no12/06-0965.htm


PAUL BROWN COMMENT TO ME ON THIS ISSUE

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 11:10 AM

"Actually, Terry, I have been critical of the USDA handling of the mad cow issue for some years, and with Linda Detwiler and others sent lengthy detailed critiques and recommendations to both the USDA and the Canadian Food Agency."



http://lists.iatp.org/listarchive/archive.cfm?listID=147&startrow=1081



3/6/2008

i call for an investigation of the investigators

House committee subpoenas Hallmark/Westland CEO The subpoena orders him to testify at a March 12 hearing titled "Regulatory Failure: Must America Live With Unsafe Food?"<<< what a hoot. the ones that should be subpoenad and held accountable are the very ones on the committee. they have failed the public for years about BSE risk and regulations. the very people that are going to investigate this thing are the very folks responsible for all the children and elderly that were exposed to the potential of mad cow via non-ambulatory i.e. DOWNERS, the most likely to have a TSE. waxman et al have been claiming to be concerned about BSE aka mad cow disease's and one issue was the non-ambulatory 'downer' cattle, and i quote waxman; Failure To Test Staggering Cow May Reflect Wider Problems Rep. Waxman raises concerns that the recent failure of USDA to test an impaired cow for BSE may not be an isolated incident, citing the failure of USDA to monitor whether cows condemned for central nervous system symptoms are actually tested for mad cow disease.



http://reform.democrats.house.gov/documents/20040607142914-86912.pdf



http://oversight.house.gov/documents/20040607142914-86912.pdf




folks, that was in 2004. why, in 2008, why are we still discussing the same failures $$$

THE PEOPLE BELOW SHOULD ALL BE SUBPOENAED AS WELL FOR THEIR CONTINUED FAILURES TO PROTECT THE CONSUMER FROM MAD COW DISEASE. and i call for an investigation of the investigators below. why in 2008 are we still floundering $$$

Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations




http://energycommerce.house.gov/Subcommittees/ovin.shtml




CJD QUESTIONNAIRE


http://cjdquestionnaire.blogspot.com/



Specified Risk Material SRM see tons and tons of BANNED mad cow feed SRMs IN COMMERCE USA, the other safe guard USDA et al keeps boasting about, that has failed terribly along with the BSE surveillance and BSE testing protocols. see for yourself ;



http://madcowspontaneousnot.blogspot.com/2008/02/specified-risk-materials-srm.html



Terry S. Singeltary Sr. P.O. Box 42 Bacliff, Texas USA 77518