Genetic Mutation at Root of Mad Cow Disease
MANHATTAN, US - New findings about the causes of mad cow disease show that sometimes it may be genetic.

Court Rules on Use of BSE Test Kit
US - The USDA and Creekstone Farms Premium Beef of Arkansas City, Kansas, have been engaged in ongoing litigation regarding Creekstone's desire to test its own cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Mad-cow Class Action Gets Judge's Clearance
US - A $10-billion class action lawsuit targeting the federal government for economic losses caused by a devastating outbreak of mad-cow disease in 2003 has been given a green light to proceed.

Economic Impact of BSE Responses and Regulations
US - A new report has been released which examines the economic impacts of feed-related regulatory responses to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

A Sane Ruling on Mad Cow Testing
US - A Court of Appeals ruling that bars a Kansas meatpacker from testing all its animals for mad cow disease - an expensive step major meatpackers resist - sounds like yet another industry victory that sacrifices the public interest to private interests....

Alberta to End BSE Testing of Elderly Cows
US - Alberta expects to test half as many cattle for mad cow disease under a new surveillance program that stops targeting the most elderly bovines, and ones without proper documentation.

US Announces Funding for BSE Prevention Programmes
US - The Food and Drug Administration is announcing the availability of cooperative agreements funding to further enhance the infrastructure of State, territorial, and tribal animal feed safety and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prevention programs....

BSE Fight is Not Just About Beef
US - American beef is back on the South Korean menu this week - but while cattle producers here might feel like celebrating as they throw a few steaks on the holiday barbecue here, the Koreans have more than just a bad taste for international trade. ...

FDA Strengthens Protection Against Mad Cow Disease
WASHINGTON - Closing loopholes in protections against mad cow disease, the Food and Drug Administration yesterday banned brains and other cattle parts that could carry the disease's infectious agent from use in cosmetics and dietary supplements.

Government Asks Court to Block Wider Testing for Mad Cow
US - The Bush administration was cited as urging a federal appeals court on Friday to stop meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease, but a skeptical judge questioned whether the government has that authority.

New Canadian BSE case reignites US import battle
US - A new case of BSE detected in Canada has sparked renewed calls in the US for tighter import regulations on Canadian beef.

Pet Food May Lead to Mad Cow
US - Ranchers struggling with high hay costs and burned out ranges are being warned that feeding cattle cheap pet food could cause an outbreak of mad cow disease.

From Mad Cow to Cash Cow
US - Russia's appetite for beef products has grown substantially and gone sharply upscale since it banned U.S. exports four years ago.

Groups Take Canadian Cattle To Court
US - R-CALF USA, along with 10 other plaintiffs, has filed a complaint against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the District Court – District of South Dakota, Northern Division (District Court) in an effort to prevent the agency decision...

Cattle Movement Across Canadian Border Expected to be Slow
US - When the U.S. border opens to Canadian cattle older than 30 months on Nov. 19, the influx of older cattle coming south will be minimal, ranchers in Alberta and Saskatchewan say.

R-Calf Rallies Against Canadian Cattle
WASHINGTON, D.C. – R-CALF USA recently sent a formal letter to each Member of Congress to ask that they co-sponsor and support Resolutions of Disapproval against the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) plan to allow Canadian cattle over-30-months...

Money Coming To Great Falls Mad Cow Disease Centre
US - The McLaughlin Research Institute has secured some additional funding to be used in researching degenerative brain diseases.

South Korea's Suspension of US Beef Imports Concerns MCA
US - South Korea’s recent suspension of U.S. beef imports is disturbing news for cattle producers. The concern is not the lost market, but how the Cargill plant could miss such a large piece of BSE specific risk material (SRM) in a box of boneless beef....

Report Suggests Canada May Be Noncompliant With Minimal Risk Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a formal letter sent today, R-CALF USA has asked Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns to determine if Canada is in violation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Minimal Risk Region Rule (Final Rule) and explain to Canada...

Top-flight BSE Surveillance Keeps Borders Open for Trade
ALBERTA - The Food Safety Division’s (FSD) animal surveillance system for detecting bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Alberta cattle is helping to keep the borders open for trade with other countries, says Dr. Gerald Ollis, Alberta’s chief provincial...