USDA hopes new beef safety rules help restore trade

USDA hopes new beef safety rules help restore trade    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has implemented new beef safety rules which hopes will restore confidence in these products among international buyers.
   USDA will ban the use of sick or so-called “downer” cattle from human consumption. On Dec. 23, the USDA confirmed that a slaughtered downer cow in Washington state tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as brain-wasting “mad cow” disease. The disease may be transmitted to humans through consumption of brain and spinal cord matter in beef.
   Numerous countries placed bans on U.S. beef imports after the announcement, including the cattle industry’s top overseas markets in Asia.
   Under the new rules, USDA will require:
   * Marking cattle as “inspected and passed” only after confirmation that animals have tested negative for BSE.
   * Banning the practice of air-injection stunning during slaughter to insure the brain stays intact.
   * Stricter controls on automated carcass stripping systems to prevent spinal cord tissue from being disturbed.
   * Creation of a national animal identification system to help USDA respond faster to BSE cases.
   * Banning use of small intestines as well as head and spinal tissue from older cattle.
   U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said the new rules will be implemented immediately after publication in the Federal Register, which will take place soon. “Our goal is to see trade resume as soon as possible,” she said.