Americas | Brazil sees more meat sales after US mad cow caseSAO PAULO, Brazil...

Americas

Brazil sees more meat sales after US mad cow case
SAO PAULO, Brazil, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Brazil may export more meat in the medium term as non-tariff barriers to Brazilian beef become more flexible following the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, a meat exporters' executive said on Tuesday.

Canada Commends New U.S. BSE Measures
Canadian Ag Minster Bob Speller said he commends the U.S. on new BSE risk management measures announced by USDA Tuesday.

Europe

Mad cow outbreak contributed to British PM defeat
LONDON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister John Major's handling of an outbreak of mad cow disease confirmed an image of incompetence and dealt a body blow to his crumbling government.

USA

USDA sets Wednesday mad cow briefing for 2:30 pm EST
WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department said it will hold the next news briefing on its mad cow disease investigation at 2:30 p.m. EST (1930 GMT) on Wednesday.

UPDATE 1-USDA to adopt faster, 48-hour mad cow test
WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. government will adopt a faster test to detect mad cow disease in all injured or sick cattle that arrive at slaughter plants, delivering test results within 48 hours, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Tuesday.

U.S. scientist says anti-mad cow measure ignored
WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A U.S. scientist said on Tuesday a simple treatment combining high pressure with heat could neutralize the proteins that cause mad cow disease, but federal officials had shown little interest in it.

Mad cow doesn't scare beef-eating U.S. senator
WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, a bulldog defender of Midwestern farmers, pledged on Tuesday to eat one pound (0.45 kg) of American beef a week to show it is safe to consume despite the first U.S. case of mad cow disease.

USDA Sets Additional Actions on BSE
USDA will, effective immediately, ban all downer animals from entering the slaughter mix and will also hold any animal being tested for BSE until the test results become available, USDA Secretary Ann Veneman announced today.

NCBA Statement Regarding Ongoing BSE Investigation
National Cattlemen's Beef Association CEO, Terry Stokes, today released the following statement regarding USDA's decision in the BSE incident:

Merc adjusts rules as beef price falloff continues
The freefall of beef futures prices continued Tuesday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, as the market adopted new daily price limits following three straight days in which prices fell the maximum allowed limit.

Infected cow's age, Canada connection could protect U.S. BSE-free status
The discovery that the Washington state cow infected with BSE came from Canada could help preserve the United States' status as BSE-free.

Authorities seek links between separate BSE cases
Authorities are searching for links between the Holstein cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United States and the animal diagnosed with the disease in Canada last May.

Mad cow fears lead to beef limits
The US Department of Agriculture is to appoint a global panel of scientists to review its response to the country's first case of mad cow disease.

Iowa producers applaud new beef rules
Iowa cattle producers and industry leaders said the tougher slaughter and processing regulations announced Tuesday will help ensure the safety of U.S. beef products. . .

Alberta farm remains focal point of B.S.E. investigation
Age of cow becomes the focus

BSE Information and Updates
Next Technical Briefing and Webcast with U.S. Government Officials On BSE Case Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 2:30 p.m. EST.

Veneman Announces Additional Protection Measures To Guard Against BSE
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced additional safeguards to bolster the U.S. protection systems against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE, and further protect public health. “For more than a decade, the United States has had in place an aggressive surveillance, detection and response program for BSE,” said Veneman. “While we are confident that the United States has safeguards and firewalls needed to protect public health, these additional actions will further strengthen our protection systems.” Veneman said the policies announced today have been under consideration for many months, especially since the finding of a case of BSE in Canada in May 2003.

Americas

Brazil sees more meat sales after US mad cow case
SAO PAULO, Brazil, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Brazil may export more meat in the medium term as non-tariff barriers to Brazilian beef become more flexible following the first U.S. case of mad cow disease, a meat exporters' executive said on Tuesday.

Canada Commends New U.S. BSE Measures
Canadian Ag Minster Bob Speller said he commends the U.S. on new BSE risk management measures announced by USDA Tuesday.

Europe

Mad cow outbreak contributed to British PM defeat
LONDON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister John Major's handling of an outbreak of mad cow disease confirmed an image of incompetence and dealt a body blow to his crumbling government.

USA

USDA sets Wednesday mad cow briefing for 2:30 pm EST
WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department said it will hold the next news briefing on its mad cow disease investigation at 2:30 p.m. EST (1930 GMT) on Wednesday.

UPDATE 1-USDA to adopt faster, 48-hour mad cow test
WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. government will adopt a faster test to detect mad cow disease in all injured or sick cattle that arrive at slaughter plants, delivering test results within 48 hours, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Tuesday.

U.S. scientist says anti-mad cow measure ignored
WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - A U.S. scientist said on Tuesday a simple treatment combining high pressure with heat could neutralize the proteins that cause mad cow disease, but federal officials had shown little interest in it.

Mad cow doesn't scare beef-eating U.S. senator
WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, a bulldog defender of Midwestern farmers, pledged on Tuesday to eat one pound (0.45 kg) of American beef a week to show it is safe to consume despite the first U.S. case of mad cow disease.

USDA Sets Additional Actions on BSE
USDA will, effective immediately, ban all downer animals from entering the slaughter mix and will also hold any animal being tested for BSE until the test results become available, USDA Secretary Ann Veneman announced today.

NCBA Statement Regarding Ongoing BSE Investigation
National Cattlemen's Beef Association CEO, Terry Stokes, today released the following statement regarding USDA's decision in the BSE incident:

Merc adjusts rules as beef price falloff continues
The freefall of beef futures prices continued Tuesday on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, as the market adopted new daily price limits following three straight days in which prices fell the maximum allowed limit.

Infected cow's age, Canada connection could protect U.S. BSE-free status
The discovery that the Washington state cow infected with BSE came from Canada could help preserve the United States' status as BSE-free.

Authorities seek links between separate BSE cases
Authorities are searching for links between the Holstein cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the United States and the animal diagnosed with the disease in Canada last May.

Mad cow fears lead to beef limits
The US Department of Agriculture is to appoint a global panel of scientists to review its response to the country's first case of mad cow disease.

Iowa producers applaud new beef rules
Iowa cattle producers and industry leaders said the tougher slaughter and processing regulations announced Tuesday will help ensure the safety of U.S. beef products. . .

Alberta farm remains focal point of B.S.E. investigation
Age of cow becomes the focus

BSE Information and Updates
Next Technical Briefing and Webcast with U.S. Government Officials On BSE Case Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 2:30 p.m. EST.

Veneman Announces Additional Protection Measures To Guard Against BSE
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced additional safeguards to bolster the U.S. protection systems against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE, and further protect public health. “For more than a decade, the United States has had in place an aggressive surveillance, detection and response program for BSE,” said Veneman. “While we are confident that the United States has safeguards and firewalls needed to protect public health, these additional actions will further strengthen our protection systems.” Veneman said the policies announced today have been under consideration for many months, especially since the finding of a case of BSE in Canada in May 2003.