Why We Worry

Here’s the simple breakdown:

1. Small meatpacker, Creekstone Farms, wants to test its cows for Mad Cow Disease
2. USDA says Creekstone Farms is not allowed to obtain tests
3. Creekstone Farms sues USDA
4. Creekstone Farms loses in Court of appeals.

From the Reuters article:

USDA allows the mad-cow test kits to be sold only to laboratories that it approves. It says the tests should not be used as a marketing tool and the cattle that comprise the bulk of the meat supply are too young to be tested reliably.

That sounds fishy to begin with. You would think the USDA would welcome this proactive approach to food safety. But then we get this tidbit from a NYT article on the same issue:

Larger meat companies worry that if Creekstone is allowed to perform the test and advertise its meat as safe, they could be forced to do the expensive test, too.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Bingo!

Can’t let a pesky thing like safety get in the way of profit.

Flickr photo by foxypar4

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