frenchie
Well-known member
U.S. meat institute sides with Canada
this document web posted: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 20050120p60
By Mary MacArthur
Camrose bureau
Unlike many groups in the United States, the American Meat Institute is calling for the border to be open to Canadian cattle even after the most recent case of BSE was discovered.
Jim Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute in Washington, D.C., said the reopening of the border should be based on science and not politics and there is no scientific reason the border should not reopen March 7 as previously announced.
"From a technical and scientific point of view there should not be a question about the safety of meat products produced in Canada," said Hodges, whose organization represents large meat and poultry packing plants in the United States.
"The American Meat Institute continues to believe we do have robust BSE prevention measures in North American and continue to look forward to the implementation of the Canadian rule," he said, referring to U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for reopening the border to Canadian cattle.
Hodges said while he has no doubt about the safety of Canadian beef, the fact the most recently diagnosed animal was born six months after the ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban does complicate the border reopening.
"We would be na•ve to think otherwise and the circumstances surrounding each one of those cases can add complicating factors," said Hodges, who agreed with the need to take a second look at the feed and how the cow contracted the disease after the feed ban.
"We support a complete and thorough investigation, in co-operation with Canadian officials, USDA or others, to understand the facts surrounding this case."
Mark Dopp, senior vice-president of regulatory affairs with the meat institute, said he believes the team of Americans looking at the Canadian feed ban will not find anything that will change the border reopening.
"It's appropriate that USDA send a team up that they're going to be, but frankly we fully expect that that team and the USDA will have considered all these factors when they put together the final rule in the first place.
"Nonetheless, it's still appropriate they go up and take a look at these issues to ensure their analyses were proper."
Despite the latest wrinkle, the instititute is planning to go ahead with its lawsuit against USDA for limiting the border reopening to live cattle younger than 30 months.
Since the border closure, many of its packing plant members have gone bankrupt or closed their doors because of a shortage of cattle.
The longer the border remains closed, the less likely the plants will reopen, said Hodges.
this document web posted: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 20050120p60
By Mary MacArthur
Camrose bureau
Unlike many groups in the United States, the American Meat Institute is calling for the border to be open to Canadian cattle even after the most recent case of BSE was discovered.
Jim Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute in Washington, D.C., said the reopening of the border should be based on science and not politics and there is no scientific reason the border should not reopen March 7 as previously announced.
"From a technical and scientific point of view there should not be a question about the safety of meat products produced in Canada," said Hodges, whose organization represents large meat and poultry packing plants in the United States.
"The American Meat Institute continues to believe we do have robust BSE prevention measures in North American and continue to look forward to the implementation of the Canadian rule," he said, referring to U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for reopening the border to Canadian cattle.
Hodges said while he has no doubt about the safety of Canadian beef, the fact the most recently diagnosed animal was born six months after the ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban does complicate the border reopening.
"We would be na•ve to think otherwise and the circumstances surrounding each one of those cases can add complicating factors," said Hodges, who agreed with the need to take a second look at the feed and how the cow contracted the disease after the feed ban.
"We support a complete and thorough investigation, in co-operation with Canadian officials, USDA or others, to understand the facts surrounding this case."
Mark Dopp, senior vice-president of regulatory affairs with the meat institute, said he believes the team of Americans looking at the Canadian feed ban will not find anything that will change the border reopening.
"It's appropriate that USDA send a team up that they're going to be, but frankly we fully expect that that team and the USDA will have considered all these factors when they put together the final rule in the first place.
"Nonetheless, it's still appropriate they go up and take a look at these issues to ensure their analyses were proper."
Despite the latest wrinkle, the instititute is planning to go ahead with its lawsuit against USDA for limiting the border reopening to live cattle younger than 30 months.
Since the border closure, many of its packing plant members have gone bankrupt or closed their doors because of a shortage of cattle.
The longer the border remains closed, the less likely the plants will reopen, said Hodges.
