If you know anything about intensive animal agriculture, you know human health is not a priority. But did you also know that our own government enables this disregard for human health by restricting the free market?

“Because the Agriculture Department tests only a small percentage of cows for the deadly disease, a Kansas meatpacker, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, wanted to test all of its cows, but the government says it cannot. Larger meat companies worry that if Creekstone is allowed to perform the test and advertise its meat as safe, they could be forced to do the expensive test, too.” (source: NY Times)

Put more simply, the court ruled that human health and safety from Mad Cow Disease is less important than the potential cost to slaughterhouses. The USDA actually restricted a slaughterhouse from testing all its cows for Mad Cow Disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). And the reason given was that if they tested all their cows, consumers would expect other slaughterhouses to test all their cows, and that would be an “undue financial burden.”

Furthermore, the USDA’s position was even more disturbing:

Only rarely do cattle younger than 30 months show any signs of the disease. The earliest point at which current testing methods can detect a positive case of BSE is two to three months before an animal would exhibit any external symptoms. Most cattle going to market in the United States are less than 24 months old. Therefore, BSE testing of slaughter-age cattle is unlikely to identify the disease, even in infected cattle, and USDA’s position is that testing young cattle offers “no food
safety value” and is “likely to produce false negative results.” (source: lower court ruling)

Essential, the USDA has come right out and claimed that testing for Mad Cow is pointless since the cows killed for human consumption are too young to test positive, but not too young to spread the disease.

What can we learn from this (besides the fact that eating meat is hazardous to your health)? We learn that in order to change/overhaul the animal agriculture industry, it can’t be done purely from a consumer angle. Conscientious consumption won’t work by its self. Even people who want “humane meat” or safe meat won’t be able to get it by “voting with your dollars” because:

1. the government will step in and manipulate the market, and
2. the industry claims cannot be trusted

The USDA has a point when they argued that Creekstone’s tests and labels could mislead the public into believing they were eating BSE-free beef when in fact they were merely eating beef that produced false negative test results.

Instead of shopping for BSE-free beef or “humane meat” (and buying the humane myth) just make it simple and go vegan. Don’t participate in their games anymore. You’re not a pawn for the meat industry. You’re free to make your own choice and live your own life. If they can’t or won’t be honest with you and protect you from disease, why in the world would you support that industry?

(Also, notice the NY Times frame. They used the word “forced” to refer to the market demand for safe beef. That’s what I call spin.)

Sections: Vegan Activism, Vegan News
Topics: BSE, Creekstone, mad cow disease, USDA, veg, Vegan