Will 'Downer' Sows Be Next? - This spring, trade groups and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agreed on a policy to ban non- ambulatory cattle from entering the food supply

摘要

There are significant reasons why a ban on "downer" cows should not be followed by a ban on downer sows, says a veterinary expert with the National Pork Board. On May 20, the USDA announced a proposed rule to ban non-ambulatory cattle from slaughter,following an April 22 petition from the American Meat Institute, the National Meat Association and the National Milk Producers Federation. Paul Sundberg, DVM, vice president of Science and Technology with the National Pork Board, says that downer cows are truly a species apart from downer sows. The downer cattle issue that led to the largest beef recall in U.S. history wasn't really about animal handling or welfare, despite apparent abuse in a California beef packing plant. The real issue stemmed from a food safety concern because downer cows are associated with mad cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).