Recent reports about “Mad Cow Disease” or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, (BSE), have left some people with questions about the safety of meat and dairy products. For more than a decade, the United States has had an aggressive BSE surveillance, detection, and response program. Following the first confirmed case of BSE in the United States, in December 2003 the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated additional steps to enhance the current protection system. These steps include the exclusion of non-ambulatory cows from the food supply, the use of additional meat processing controls, the use of testing standards that require confirmation of a negative result for BSE before release of products, and the use of improved slaughter techniques.
To further address questions about BSE, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) offers the “Questions and Answers About BSE” fact sheet. The fact sheet has been reviewed by scientific experts, and provides answers to some basic questions about BSE. The BSE Q&A fact sheet is available on the IFIC Foundation Web site at: http://www.ific.org/publications/qa/bseqa.cfm. A complimentary copy can also be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to IFIC, 1100 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 430, Washington, DC 20036. Attn: BSE Q&A.
Additional information on USDA activities and BSE can be accessed through the USDA Web site at: http://www.usda.gov/BSE/.
