Raising BSE Age Limit a Step Closer
EU - EU scientists have acknowledged that raising the age limit on cattle for BSE testing would have a negligible effect on public health, opening the door for a change in legislation.

$7 Billion Mad Cow Scare Suit Against Canada
CANADA - A $7 billion lawsuit by cattle farmers against the Canadian government and a cattle feed firm for allegedly causing a mad cow disease infection has gotten the Supreme Court's go-signal to proceed.

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.

Local Japanese Agencies Continue BSE Testing Alone
JAPAN - All 77 of the nation's meat inspection stations plan to continue testing domestically slaughtered cattle aged 20 months or younger for mad cow disease after central government subsidies for the testing end in August, it was learned Friday.

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....

Govt Slaps Restriction on Meat Import
BANGLADESH - The government has imposed restrictions on the import of meat as a precautionary measure amid global concerns of mad-cow disease outbreak, officials concerned said yesterday.

Govt Slaps Restriction on Meat Import
BANGLADESH - The government has imposed restrictions on the import of meat as a precautionary measure amid global concerns of mad-cow disease outbreak, officials concerned said yesterday.

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. ...

Mad Cow in Canada
OTTAWA - Yesterday the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed a new case of mad cow disease, making it the 13th since the national surveillance programme began back in 2003.

Province Compensates for Mad Cow Crisis
CANADA - Calling it the last bailout livestock farmers will see in the post-BSE industry crisis, the Alberta government unveiled a $356-million recovery plan yesterday.

U of O Research Examines Risks of BSE
CANADA - It may be hard to believe that although bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or 'mad cow disease,' has cost the Canadian economy around $10 billion in lost trade and compensation, little is known about the disease.

Canadian BSE Cases Blamed on Ineffective Feed Ban
CANADA - In the mid-February cold, an Edmonton-area dairy farmer watched a thin, sickly animal struggle and finally go down. As required, the cow's head was sent for testing and a few days later, the country's 12th case of mad cow disease was confirm...

US Bows to South Korean BSE Fears
SOUTH KOREA - The South Korean president has said that Washington accepted his proposal to halt imports in the case of any BSE outbreak occurring within the United States.

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.

US Calms Korean Mad Cow Panic
KOREA - The undersecretary for food safety at the US reasserted the safety of American beef at a recent conference to Korean correspondents.

Canadian Mad Cow Case an Uncommon Strain
CANADA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency was cited as saying on Wednesday that a cow discovered late last year with bovine spongiform encephalopathy was suffering from an atypical strain of the fatal illness.

Two Die in Spain from BSE
MADRID - Two people have died in Spain from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, the human form of mad cow disease, the health department at the regional Castilla-Leon government said on Monday.

Canadian Feed Co. to Pay $6 million in B.S.E. Class Action
CANADA - Animal feed company Ridley Inc. has agreed to pay $6 million in a settlement agreement with the plaintiffs in several mad cow class action lawsuits filed against the company and the Canadian government.

Walshe Asks for Stricter Tests on BSE
IRELAND - Padraig Walshe, the president of the Irish Farmers' Association, has said that after almost 20 years, the scourge of BSE is finally beaten. Last year, 25 cases were identified in Ireland.