BSE                                     ...

BSE                                                                                                

Third Inconclusive Test Result Part Of Working System To Keep U.S. Beef Safe

“The USDA announcement November 18 of an "inconclusive" BSE test result was not unexpected,” said President & CEO Philip Seng in a statement in response. “The new and very aggressive U.S. surveillance program was designed to cast the widest net possible and, as the Europeans and Japanese have learned, inconclusive test results can result. The important thing to remember is this: The U.S. has in place a federally-mandated and industry implemented dual firewall system designed to help us better understand the prevalence of BSE in the United States while protecting human health. Our surveillance program helps us understand the animal health threat, while new, in-plant protocol designed to remove potentially infectious material from the human food chain protect human health. As part of this system, no part of the animal can enter the food or feed supply until the test results are known conclusively. USDA says this system is in place and working.

“In a few days we will know more about this “inconclusive” finding. But regardless of how it turns out, our customers can be assured that the U.S. beef industry continues to produce safe and wholesome beef products of the highest quality in the world.”

The USDA announced an inconclusive test result for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a U.S. animal. This is the third inconclusive result since the new surveillance program began on June 1. Both of the earlier results ultimately proved not to be cases of BSE. “Inconclusive results are a normal component of screening tests, which are designed to be extremely sensitive so they will detect any sample that could possibly be positive,” Andrea Morgan Associate Deputy Administrator Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement today.

After the inconclusive result, tissue samples are sent to the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories — the national BSE reference lab — which will run confirmatory testing. Definitive results are expected in four to seven days.

BSE                                                                                                

Third Inconclusive Test Result Part Of Working System To Keep U.S. Beef Safe

“The USDA announcement November 18 of an "inconclusive" BSE test result was not unexpected,” said President & CEO Philip Seng in a statement in response. “The new and very aggressive U.S. surveillance program was designed to cast the widest net possible and, as the Europeans and Japanese have learned, inconclusive test results can result. The important thing to remember is this: The U.S. has in place a federally-mandated and industry implemented dual firewall system designed to help us better understand the prevalence of BSE in the United States while protecting human health. Our surveillance program helps us understand the animal health threat, while new, in-plant protocol designed to remove potentially infectious material from the human food chain protect human health. As part of this system, no part of the animal can enter the food or feed supply until the test results are known conclusively. USDA says this system is in place and working.

“In a few days we will know more about this “inconclusive” finding. But regardless of how it turns out, our customers can be assured that the U.S. beef industry continues to produce safe and wholesome beef products of the highest quality in the world.”

The USDA announced an inconclusive test result for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a U.S. animal. This is the third inconclusive result since the new surveillance program began on June 1. Both of the earlier results ultimately proved not to be cases of BSE. “Inconclusive results are a normal component of screening tests, which are designed to be extremely sensitive so they will detect any sample that could possibly be positive,” Andrea Morgan Associate Deputy Administrator Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement today.

After the inconclusive result, tissue samples are sent to the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories — the national BSE reference lab — which will run confirmatory testing. Definitive results are expected in four to seven days.