STATEMENT BY DR. RON DEHAVEN and Honourable Chuck Strahl ON OIE RISK RECOMMENDATION

[flatfish]

Subject: STATEMENT BY DR. RON DEHAVEN and The Honourable Chuck Strahl REGARDING OIE RISK RECOMMENDATION
Date: March 9, 2007 at 12:30 pm PST
Subject: STATEMENT BY DR. RON DEHAVEN REGARDING OIE RISK RECOMMENDATION
Date: March 9, 2007 at 12:13 pm PST
Karen Eggert (301) 734-7280
Jerry Redding (202) 720-4623

STATEMENT BY DR. RON DEHAVEN REGARDING OIE RISK RECOMMENDATION

March 9, 2007

“In October 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture submitted an application and supporting documents to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to formally request country classification for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk. The OIE undertakes a thorough review process before recommending a risk classification, and then provides an opportunity for all delegate countries to review the recommendations and present comments prior to final adoption of a country’s classification at the OIE’s General Assembly meeting in May.

“While we recognize that a final classification decision will not be made by the OIE until May, we feel it is important to be responsive to questions we are now being asked about the risk classification recommended for the United States. The OIE Scientific Commission has endorsed the recommendation from an OIE expert panel that the United States be classified as “controlled risk” for BSE.

“The controlled risk classification recognizes that OIE-recommended, science-based mitigation measures are in place to effectively manage any possible risk of BSE in the cattle population. This recommendation provides strong support that U.S. regulatory controls are effective and that U.S cattle and products from cattle of all ages can be safely traded in accordance with international guidelines, due to our interlocking safeguards.

“The OIE risk classification process is an essential step in promoting trade and understanding of this disease. We appreciate OIE’s review of our application, as well as its leadership in developing sound, science-based guidelines that will help countries standardize regulations and import requirements. We look forward to the final adoption of this classification, which will be announced at the OIE meeting in May.”

#


http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/content/2007/03/OIE_statement3-9-07.shtml




Canada's New Government Welcomes Preliminary Rrecommendation of World Organization for Animal Health That Canada Be Categorized as a Controlled Risk Country for BSE

OTTAWA, March 9, 2007 - The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, today issued the following statement in response to the preliminary recommendation from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that Canada be categorized as a Controlled Risk country for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). A final decision will be made at the OIE’s General Assembly meeting in May.

“Canada’s New Government is appreciative that international animal health experts have recommended that Canada be officially recognized as a country that is effectively controlling BSE risks. The OIE’s science-based categorization system provides the framework for fair and standardized international trade based on the safeguards that trading partners have implemented.

“There is a high level of international confidence and respect for the effectiveness of Canada’s BSE control measures and our commitment to protecting animal and public health. This has been demonstrated by the unprecedented market recovery achieved to date. Should the preliminary categorization be adopted, it would provide further proof, endorsed by animal health experts, that Canada has taken responsible actions to manage BSE that are internationally recognized.”

-30-

For information:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media relations: (613) 228-6682

Jeff Howard
Press Secretary
Minister Strahl’s office
613-759-1059




http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=282659






NOT to forget what Paul Brown TSE expert at CDC said ;


THE USDA JUNE 2004 ENHANCED BSE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM WAS TERRIBLY FLAWED ;


CDC DR. PAUL BROWN TSE EXPERT COMMENTS 2006


The U.S. Department of Agriculture was quick to assure the public earlier
this week that the third case of mad cow disease did not pose a risk to
them, but what federal officials have not acknowledged is that this latest
case indicates the deadly disease has been circulating in U.S. herds for at
least a decade.

The second case, which was detected last year in a Texas cow and which USDA
officials were reluctant to verify, was approximately 12 years old.

These two cases (the latest was detected in an Alabama cow) present a
picture of the disease having been here for 10 years or so, since it is
thought that cows usually contract the disease from contaminated feed they
consume as calves. The concern is that humans can contract a fatal,
incurable, brain-wasting illness from consuming beef products contaminated
with the mad cow pathogen.

"The fact the Texas cow showed up fairly clearly implied the existence of
other undetected cases," Dr. Paul Brown, former medical director of the
National Institutes of Health's Laboratory for Central Nervous System
Studies and an expert on mad cow-like diseases, told United Press
International. "The question was, 'How many?' and we still can't answer
that."

Brown, who is preparing a scientific paper based on the latest two mad cow
cases to estimate the maximum number of infected cows that occurred in the
United States, said he has "absolutely no confidence in USDA tests before
one year ago" because of the agency's reluctance to retest the Texas cow
that initially tested positive.

USDA officials finally retested the cow and confirmed it was infected seven
months later, but only at the insistence of the agency's inspector general.

"Everything they did on the Texas cow makes everything USDA did before 2005
suspect," Brown said. ...snip...end


http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060315-055557-1284r


CDC - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Variant Creutzfeldt ...
Dr. Paul Brown is Senior Research Scientist in the Laboratory of Central
Nervous System ... Address for correspondence: Paul Brown, Building 36, Room
4A-05, ...


http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no1/brown.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."


OR, what the Honorable Phyllis Fong of the OIG found ;


Audit Report

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Surveillance Program – Phase II

and

Food Safety and Inspection Service

Controls Over BSE Sampling, Specified Risk Materials, and Advanced Meat Recovery Products - Phase III

Report No. 50601-10-KC January 2006

Finding 2 Inherent Challenges in Identifying and Testing High-Risk Cattle Still Remain


http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/50601-10-KC.pdf




EXPORTATION AND IMPORTATION OF ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS:
BSE; MRR AND IMPORTATION OF COMMODITIES, 65758-65759 [E6-19042]



http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0701&L=sanet-mg&T=0&P=3854




http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0611&L=sanet-mg&T=0&P=3381




http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0703&L=sanet-mg&T=0&P=498




http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0702&L=sanet-mg&T=0&P=10277




http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0701&L=sanet-mg&T=0&P=9972




http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0703&L=sanet-mg&T=0&P=4492




http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0703&L=sanet-mg&T=0&P=2583




http://lists.ifas.ufl.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0703&L=sanet-mg&T=0&P=2470



Terry S. Singeltary Sr.

P.O. Box 42
Bacliff, Texas USA 77518

[flatfish]

Subject: MAD COW FEED RECALL 25 TONS IN COMMERCE Dairy cattle feed blends ProLak and/or ProAmino II protein concentrate
Date: March 1, 2007 at 8:57 am PST

PRODUCT
Dairy cattle feed blends containing ProLak and/or ProAmino II protein concentrate, Recall # V-020-2007
CODE
All finished product manufactured from April, 3, 2006 to April 30, 2006
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
Eatonton Co-Op Feed Company, Eatonton, GA, by letter on/about December 12, 2006. Firm initiated recall is complete.
REASON
Finished feed product was manufactured from raw feed material that may have been contaminated with ruminant derived protein.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
25 tons
DISTRIBUTION
GA


END OF ENFORCEMENT REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 28, 2007

###


http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/enforce/2007/ENF00993.html




CFIA RESPONDS TO CONTAMINATED FEED

OTTAWA, March 2, 2007 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has placed precautionary movement restrictions on cattle from nine farms in Saskatchewan because they received feed that did not meet Canada’s current feed ban requirements. There is no food safety risk associated with meat and other products from the exposed animals.

The contamination occurred when misidentified ruminant meat and bone meal was distributed from a processor to feed mills. The meat and bone meal was subsequently included as an ingredient in certain ruminant animal feeds, which is not permitted under Canada’s feed ban. The CFIA was notified by the processor and mills once the error was detected and immediately initiated an investigation.

All of the contaminated feed has been recalled and the CFIA has verified that all receiving farms have been properly cleaned. Preliminary findings of a science-based assessment indicate that the risk to animal health is, at most, very low. No exposed animals or their products were exported.

A complete investigation is underway to fully examine the situation and verify that the processor takes corrective measures. The CFIA will consider enforcement actions once the investigation concludes.

The CFIA is working with industry to activate the tracking mechanism, based on Canada's traceability system, which will replace the current movement restrictions.

The CFIA is committed to ensuring the ongoing effectiveness of Canada’s feed ban. Domestic and international audits, supported by regular inspection activities, demonstrate very high levels of industry compliance with the ban. However, feed system controls are inherently complex and subject to human error. Enhancements to the feed ban, which come into effect in July 2007, will address potential opportunities for inadvertent contamination by removing more than 99% of potential BSE infectivity from the animal feed system.

All affected producers acted in full accordance with the feed ban, believing they were using feed intended for cattle and other ruminant animals. All involved stakeholders, including producers, continue to be very cooperative with the CFIA.

-30-

For information:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media relations: (613) 228-6682


http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/newcom/2007/20070302e.shtml





Written by Neil Billinger - 600 Action News-Local First

Friday, 02 March 2007
Meat and bone meal was accidentally added to feed sent to 9 Saskatchewan farms.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) received a call from a feed mill on February 21st. There was a mix-up between the feed mill and processor, which lead to meat and bone meal accidentally being added to the ruminant feed. The feed mill believed the ingredient was feather meal, which complies with the ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban. It was introduced in 1997 to prevent the spread of BSE.

The feed was delivered to 9 farms. Seven were within a 160 kilometer radius of Saskatoon. The other two are located in the southwest. About 8000 cattle and 250 deer are on the farms.

Dr. George Luterbach with the CFIA says ''at this point in time the producers are in a holding pattern. Their livestock has been restricted to the farms until we determine what the appropriate next steps will be."

Dr. Luterbach says a risk assessment is being conducted to determine the actual risk of BSE to these animals. "One should not automatically conclude that exposure to meat and bone meal automatically means they have been exposed to BSE." The CFIA will use the findings of the risk assessment to determine the appropriate next step. Dr. Luterbach adds ''probably as a minimum, the animals will be traced for their lifetime."

In a news release, the CFIA says a complete investigation is underway to fully examine the situation and verify that the processor takes corrective measures. The CFIA will consider enforcement action once the investigation concludes.

Dr. Luterbach is not able to say how long the investigation will take. He says "there is a lot of information that goes into the risk assessment . . . such as the source of the meat and bone meal, the inclusion rate into rations and the age of animals that ate the rations."

Dr. Luterbach also gives credit to the feed mill for its quick action. He says "the feed industry, once they realized their mistake, and the cattle producers have been extremely responsible. We have had full co-operation. It allowed us to quickly put a net around the situation to define which animals were exposed . . . to quickly remove contaminated feed from the system and dispose of it."

All of the contaminated feed has been recalled and the CFIA has verified that all receiving farms have been properly cleaned. Preliminary findings of a science-based assessment indicate that the risk to animal health is, at most, very low. No exposed animals or their products were exported.


http://www.saskatoonhomepage.ca/index.php?option=com_ezine&task=read&page=9&category=22&article=4088&Itemid=87




Cattle Feeders Prez on Quarantine
March 02, 2007


The head of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association is weighing in, following the quarantine placed on nine Saskatchewan farms after banned feed got into the system.

Bill Jameson credits fast action on the part of the Saskatoon feed mill for alerting the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, that certain things banned from ruminant feed since 1997 were rationed and sent out to the farms. Jameson isn't about to comment on whether certain heads should roll over this. For now, he says he's awaiting the CFIA risk assessment on the 8,000 or so cattle, deer, and other ruminants affected.

The farms in question are located around Saskatoon and Swift Current.

Brent Pushkarenko reporting


http://www.newstalk650.com/index.php?p=ntnews&action=view_story&id=6154




wonder where this banned feed originated from ???




TSS



Suppressed peer review of Harvard study October 31, 2002.



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



[Docket No. FSIS-2006-0011] FSIS Harvard Risk Assessment of Bovine
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)



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


9/13/2005



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





THE SEVEN SCIENTIST REPORT ***


http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/02n0273/02n-0273-EC244-Attach-1.pdf





PAUL BROWN M.D.



http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/02n0273/02n-0273-c000490-vol40.pdf






TSS