Tuesday, September 2, 2014

COOL UPDATE September 2, 2014

COOL update


Recent media reports speculating about the World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel process regarding Canada and Mexico’s challenge to U.S. mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) have resulted in more than a few media calls to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA).  
The CCA does not comment on speculation, noting that the official compliance panel decision remains confidential until the WTO publishes it, but offers the following general comment about Canada’s COOL challenge at the WTO:
The CCA believes in the strength of Canada’s arguments that were put forth to the panel and we continue to hold the view that COOL discriminates against live imports of cattle and hogs into the U.S. marketplace. The CCA believes that the only way to bring COOL into compliance is through legislative change, either by repeal or amendment of the COOL statute. Such action must result in elimination of the segregation of imported livestock in the U.S.
Until the U.S. comes into compliance with its WTO obligations, the CCA will continue to advocate that the Government of Canada prepare to impose prohibitively high tariffs on key U.S. exports to Canada, including beef.
The CCA has been working hard with its U.S. allies to get COOL fixed. In late July, CCA leadership discussed COOL at length at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) summer conference in Denver.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Gerry Ritz also attended the conference. In reference to the ongoing WTO dispute, Ritz told delegates that if successful in its challenge, Canada will seek to retaliate as quickly as possible and will target everything from California wine to Minnesota mattresses. He continued the straight talk on COOL during a special guest appearance at the CCA Semi-Annual in Charlottetown, PEI.
The potential for retaliatory tariffs continues to command the attention of the U.S. Congress. In the August 5 edition of Action News, we told you about the letter 110 Members of Congress sent to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative requesting that, should the WTO rule against the U.S., the Secretary of Agriculture ‘rescind the final rule while Congress works to permanently resolve the issue.’ 
The negative impact of Canadian and Mexican retaliation to the state of Iowa – a leading supporter of COOL – was discussed in an op-ed published in the Des Moines Register. The Corn Refiners Association in Washington, D.C. said $300 million worth of annual exports could be impacted, including commodities such as pork, corn, some prepared foods while the corn wet milling industry could lose $500 million in annual sales to Mexico if corn sweeteners are targeted.
They suggest a solution put forth by a broad coalition of U.S. industries that have no stake in the beef industry: should the WTO find that COOL is in violation of the U.S.’s international trade obligations, the Secretary of Agriculture should immediately suspend COOL until Congress can take legislative action to resolve the dispute. 
 
 
 
The most recent assessments (and reassessments) were published in June 2005 (Table I; 18), and included the categorisation of Canada, the USA, and Mexico as GBR III. Although only Canada and the USA have reported cases, the historically open system of trade in North America suggests that it is likely that BSE is present also in Mexico.
 
 
IN SHORT, AND IN A NUT SHELL ;
 
(Adopted by the International Committee of the OIE on 23 May 2006)
 
11. Information published by the OIE is derived from appropriate declarations made by the official Veterinary Services of Member Countries. The OIE is not responsible for inaccurate publication of country disease status based on inaccurate information or changes in epidemiological status or other significant events that were not promptly reported to the Central Bureau,
 
 
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
 
USDA/APHIS NOTICE: Final Rule Regarding Imports and BSE Effective March 4, 2014
 
 
>>>I remember what happened with mad cow disease BSE testing, and the incident where they were using HEALTHY CATTLE BRAINS for testing, yes, brains they new were negative for BSE, and this was when there was suppose to be officials on site. go figure... <<<
 
 
Date: June 21, 2007 at 2:49 pm PST
 
Owner and Corporation Plead Guilty to Defrauding Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Surveillance Program
 
An Arizona meat processing company and its owner pled guilty in February 2007 to charges of theft of Government funds, mail fraud, and wire fraud. The owner and his company defrauded the BSE Surveillance Program when they falsified BSE Surveillance Data Collection Forms and then submitted payment requests to USDA for the services. In addition to the targeted sample population (those cattle that were more than 30 months old or had other risk factors for BSE), the owner submitted to USDA, or caused to be submitted, BSE obex (brain stem) samples from healthy USDA-inspected cattle. As a result, the owner fraudulently received approximately $390,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 2007.
 
snip...
 
Topics that will be covered in ongoing or planned reviews under Goal 1 include:
 
soundness of BSE maintenance sampling (APHIS),
 
implementation of Performance-Based Inspection System enhancements for specified risk material (SRM) violations and improved inspection controls over SRMs (FSIS and APHIS),
 
snip...
 
The findings and recommendations from these efforts will be covered in future semiannual reports as the relevant audits and investigations are completed.
 
4 USDA OIG SEMIANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS FY 2007 1st Half
 
 
-MORE
 
Office of the United States Attorney District of Arizona FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For Information Contact Public Affairs February 16, 2007 WYN HORNBUCKLE Telephone: (602) 514-7625 Cell: (602) 525-2681
 
CORPORATION AND ITS PRESIDENT PLEAD GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING GOVERNMENT’S MAD COW DISEASE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM
 
PHOENIX -- Farm Fresh Meats, Inc. and Roland Emerson Farabee, 55, of Maricopa, Arizona, pleaded guilty to stealing $390,000 in government funds, mail fraud and wire fraud, in federal district court in Phoenix. U.S. Attorney Daniel Knauss stated, “The integrity of the system that tests for mad cow disease relies upon the honest cooperation of enterprises like Farm Fresh Meats. Without that honest cooperation, consumers both in the U.S. and internationally are at risk. We want to thank the USDA’s Office of Inspector General for their continuing efforts to safeguard the public health and enforce the law.” Farm Fresh Meats and Farabee were charged by Information with theft of government funds, mail fraud and wire fraud. According to the Information, on June 7, 2004, Farabee, on behalf of Farm Fresh Meats, signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (the “USDA Agreement”) to collect obex samples from cattle at high risk of mad cow disease (the “Targeted Cattle Population”). The Targeted Cattle Population consisted of the following cattle: cattle over thirty months of age; nonambulatory cattle; cattle exhibiting signs of central nervous system disorders; cattle exhibiting signs of mad cow disease; and dead cattle. Pursuant to the USDA Agreement, the USDA agreed to pay Farm Fresh Meats $150 per obex sample for collecting obex samples from cattle within the Targeted Cattle Population, and submitting the obex samples to a USDA laboratory for mad cow disease testing. Farm Fresh Meats further agreed to maintain in cold storage the sampled cattle carcasses and heads until the test results were received by Farm Fresh Meats.
 
Evidence uncovered during the government’s investigation established that Farm Fresh Meats and Farabee submitted samples from cattle outside the Targeted Cattle Population. Specifically, Farm Fresh Meats and Farabee submitted, or caused to be submitted, obex samples from healthy, USDA inspected cattle, in order to steal government moneys.
 
Evidence collected also demonstrated that Farm Fresh Meats and Farabee failed to maintain cattle carcasses and heads pending test results and falsified corporate books and records to conceal their malfeasance. Such actions, to the extent an obex sample tested positive (fortunately, none did), could have jeopardized the USDA’s ability to identify the diseased animal and pinpoint its place of origin. On Wednesday, February 14, 2007, Farm Fresh Meats and Farabee pleaded guilty to stealing government funds and using the mails and wires to effect the scheme. According to their guilty pleas:
 
(a) Farm Fresh Meats collected, and Farabee directed others to collect, obex samples from cattle outside the Targeted Cattle Population, which were not subject to payment by the USDA;
 
(b) Farm Fresh Meats 2 and Farabee caused to be submitted payment requests to the USDA knowing that the requests were based on obex samples that were not subject to payment under the USDA Agreement;
 
(c) Farm Fresh Meats completed and submitted, and Farabee directed others to complete and submit, BSE Surveillance Data Collection Forms to the USDA’s testing laboratory that were false and misleading;
 
(d) Farm Fresh Meats completed and submitted, and Farabee directed others to complete and submit, BSE Surveillance Submission Forms filed with the USDA that were false and misleading;
 
(e) Farm Fresh Meats falsified, and Farabee directed others to falsify, internal Farm Fresh Meats documents to conceal the fact that Farm Fresh Meats was seeking and obtaining payment from the USDA for obex samples obtained from cattle outside the Targeted Cattle Population; and
 
(f) Farm Fresh Meats failed to comply with, and Farabee directed others to fail to comply with, the USDA Agreement by discarding cattle carcasses and heads prior to receiving BSE test results. A conviction for theft of government funds carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. Mail fraud and wire fraud convictions carry a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. Convictions for the above referenced violations also carry a maximum fine of $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for organizations. In determining an actual sentence, Judge Earl H. Carroll will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.
 
Sentencing is set before Judge Earl H. Carroll on May 14, 2007. The investigation in this case was conducted by Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alejandro Quintero, United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. The prosecution is being handled by Robert Long, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix. CASE NUMBER: CR-07-00160-PHX-EHC RELEASE NUMBER: 2007-051(Farabee)
 
# # #
 
 
Saturday, August 30, 2014
 
Maine Firm Recalls Ribeye and Carcass Products That May Contain Specified Risk Materials SRM TSE PRION aka mad cow type disease
 
 
 
Saturday, June 14, 2014
 
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Calls for Briefing on Beef Recalled for Mad Cow Potential Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
 
 
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion Disease North America 2014
 
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion Disease have now been discovered in a wide verity of species across North America. typical C-BSE, atypical L-type BASE BSE, atypical H-type BSE, atypical H-G BSE, of the bovine, typical and atypical Scrapie strains, in sheep and goats, with atypical Nor-98 Scrapie spreading coast to coast in about 5 years. Chronic Wasting Disease CWD in cervid is slowly spreading without any stopping it in Canada and the USA and now has mutated into many different strains. Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy TME outbreaks. These Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion Disease have been silently mutating and spreading in different species in North America for decades.
 
The USDA, FDA, et al have assured us of a robust Triple BSE TSE prion Firewall, of which we now know without a doubt, that it was nothing but ink on paper. Since the 1997 mad cow feed ban in the USA, literally tons and tons of banned mad cow feed has been put out into commerce, never to return, as late as December of 2013, serious, serious breaches in the FDA mad cow feed ban have been documented. The 2004 enhanced BSE surveillance program was so flawed, that one of the top TSE prion Scientist for the CDC, Dr. Paul Brown stated ; Brown, who is preparing a scientific paper based on the latest two mad cow cases to estimate the maximum number of infected cows that occurred in the United States, said he has "absolutely no confidence in USDA tests before one year ago" because of the agency's reluctance to retest the Texas cow that initially tested positive.
 
see ;
 
 
The BSE surveillance and testing have also been proven to be flawed, and the GAO and OIG have both raised serious question as to just how flawed it has been (see GAO and OIG reports). North America has more documented TSE prion disease, in different documented species (excluding the Zoo BSE animals in the EU), then any other place on the Globe. This does not include the very likelihood that TSE prion disease in the domestic feline and canine have been exposed to high doses of the TSE prion disease vid pet food. To date, it’s still legal to include deer from cwd zone into pet food or deer food. Specified Risk Material i.e. SRM bans still being breach, as recently as just last month.
 
nvCJD or what they now call vCJD, another case documented in Texas last month, with very little information being released to the public on about this case? with still the same line of thought from federal officials, ‘it can’t happen here’, so another vCJD blamed on travel of a foreign animal disease from another country, while ignoring all the BSE TSE Prion risk factors we have here in the USA and Canada, and the time that this victim and others, do spend in the USA, and exposed to these risk factors, apparently do not count in any way with regard to risk factor. a flawed process of risk assessment.
 
sporadic CJD, along with new TSE prion disease in humans, of which the young are dying, of which long duration of illness from onset of symptoms to death have been documented, only to have a new name added to the pot of prion disease i.e. sporadic GSS, sporadic FFI, and or VPSPR. I only ponder how a familial type disease could be sporadic with no genetic link to any family member? when the USA is the only documented Country in the world to have documented two different cases of atypical H-type BSE, with one case being called atypical H-G BSE with the G meaning Genetic, with new science now showing that indeed atypical H-type BSE is very possible transmitted to cattle via oral transmission (Prion2014). sporadic CJD and VPSPR have been rising in Canada, USA, and the UK, with the same old excuse, better surveillance. You can only use that excuse for so many years, for so many decades, until one must conclude that CJD TSE prion cases are rising. a 48% incease in CJD in Canada is not just a blip or a reason of better surveillance, it is a mathematical rise in numbers. More and more we are seeing more humans exposed in various circumstance in the Hospital, Medical, Surgical arenas to the TSE Prion disease, and at the same time in North America, more and more humans are becoming exposed to the TSE prion disease via consumption of the TSE prion via deer and elk, cattle, sheep and goats, and for those that are exposed via or consumption, go on to further expose many others via the iatrogenic modes of transmission of the TSE prion disease i.e. friendly fire. I pondered this mode of transmission via the victims of sporadic FFI, sporadic GSS, could this be a iatrogenic event from someone sub-clinical with sFFI or sGSS ? what if?
 
Two decades have passed since Dr. Ironside first confirmed his first ten nvCJD victims in 1995. Ten years later, 2005, we had Dr. Gambetti and his first ten i.e. VPSPR in younger victims. now we know that indeed VPSPR is transmissible. yet all these TSE prion disease and victims in the USA and Canada are being pawned off as a spontaneous event, yet science has shown, the spontaneous theory has never been proven in any natural case of TSE prion disease, and scientist have warned, that they have now linked some sporadic CJD cases to atypical BSE, to atypical Scrapie, and to CWD, yet we don’t here about this in the public domain. We must make all human and animal TSE prion disease reportable in every age group, in ever state and internationally, we must have a serious re-evaluation and testing of the USA cattle herds, and we must ban interstate movement of all cervids. Any voluntary effort to do any of this will fail. Folks, we have let the industry run science far too long with regards to the TSE prion disease. While the industry and their lobbyist continues to funnel junk science to our decision policy makers, Rome burns. ...end
 
REFERENCES
 
Sunday, June 29, 2014
 
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion Disease North America 2014
 
 
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
 
MAD COW USDA TSE PRION COVER UP or JUST IGNORANCE, for the record AUGUST 2014
 
 
Monday, July 28, 2014
 
Mitigating the Risk of Transmission and Environmental Contamination of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies 2013 Annual Report
 
 
what is the BIG SECRET about this recent case of nvCJD in Texas ???
 
Monday, June 02, 2014
 
*** Confirmed Human BSE aka mad cow Variant CJD vCJD or nvCJD Case in Texas
 
 
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
 
*** Questions linger in U.S. CJD cases 2005, and still do in 2014 ***
 
 
Sunday, March 09, 2014
 
A Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Lookback Study: Assessing the Risk of Blood Borne Transmission of Classic Forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
 
FDA TSEAC CIRCUS AND TRAVELING ROAD SHOW FOR THE TSE PRION DISEASES
 
 
Sunday, April 06, 2014
 
SPORADIC CJD and the potential for zoonotic transmission there from, either directly or indirectly via friendly fire iatrogenic mode, evidence to date
 
 
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
 
*** Detection of Infectivity in Blood of Persons with Variant and Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease ***
 
 
Thursday, August 21, 2014
 
FDA Switzerland Reason For Recall Blood product, collected from a donor who was at risk for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), was distributed 2014-05-16
 
 
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
 
Blood reference materials from macaques infected with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease agent
 
 
Friday, January 10, 2014
 
vpspr, sgss, sffi, TSE, an iatrogenic by-product of gss, ffi, familial type prion disease, what it ???
 
 
Monday, August 18, 2014
 
*** Barriers to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Autopsies, California and the USA
 
 
PLEASE REMEMBER ;
 
The Akron, Ohio-based CJD Foundation said the Center for Disease Control revised that number in October of 2004 to about one in 9,000 CJD cases per year in the population group age 55 and older.
 
HAVE YOU GOT YOUR CJD QUESTIONNAIRE ASKING REAL QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO ROUTE AND SOURCE OF THE TSE AGENT THAT KILLED YOUR LOVED ONE ???
 
if not, why not...
 
Friday, November 30, 2007
 
CJD QUESTIONNAIRE USA CWRU AND CJD FOUNDATION
 
 
 
politics, politics, politics $$$

trade, nothing else matters (Stanley Prusiner) Nobel Prize winner for the Prion.

one only has to look at Creekstone, and the attempt to test for BSE there from by an industry, because the government would not do it, and the International trade markets would not have that, so what did they do when the BSE atypical strains started showing up during the infamous bse enhanced surveillance program, the usda simply shut it down, went back to testing numbers so low, you could not find a case of mad cow disease unless it walked up and dropped downer right in front of you. THEN, oh it gets better for sure, after that fateful day on December 23, 2003, the day the USDA et al lost their BSE gold card, the shoe was then on the other foot, and the USDA et al went to the OIE and between the two of them, abolished the BSE GBR risk assessments, and went to the BSE MRR assessments (minimal risk region), which then allowed the legal trading of all strains of BSE globally. it's all about money folks, trade now with big ag, and nothing else matters...

-------- Original Message --------

Subject: US SENATOR AND STAN THE MAN SLAM USDA ''DAMNING TESTIMONY''

Date: Wed, 03 Mar 2004 15:15:24 -0600

From: "Terry S. Singeltary Sr." To: BSE-l
Greetings List members,

damning testimony below. be sure to _first_ open up real player competely, then paste your url in there. this worked best for me.........TSS

US SENATOR AND STAN THE MAN SLAM USDA ''DAMNING TESTIMONY''

Senator Michael Machado from California

''USDA does not know what's going on''. ''USDA is protecting the industry''. ''SHOULD the state of California step in''

Stanley Prusiner

''nobody has ever ask us to comment''

''they don't want us to comment''

''they never ask''

i tried to see Venemon, after Candian cow was discovered with BSE. went to see lyle. after talking with him...

absolute ignorance...

then thought i should see Venemon...

it was clear his entire policy was to get cattle bonless beef prods across the border...

nothing else mattered...

his aids confirmed this...

5 times i tried to see Venemon, never worked...

eventually met with carl rove the political...

he is the one that arranged meeting with Venemon...

just trying to give you a sense of the distance...

healh public safety...

was never contacted...

yes i believe that prions are bad to eat and you can die from them...END


Dr. Stan bashing Ann Veneman - 3 minutes

Recall Authority and Mad Cow Disease: Is the Current System Good for Californians?

Tuesday, February 24, 2004

JOINT HEARING

AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND SELECT COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT - MACHADO, ORTIZ, and SPEIER, Chairs

Choose a RealPlayer video --->

Selected excerpts:
Opening Statement by Senator Michael Machado

Elisa Odibashian - Consumers Union

Anthony Iton - Alemeda County Health

USDA's "memorandum of understanding"

Dave Louthan - Killed the Mad Cow

Dennis Laycraft - Canadian Cattlemen's Association

Stanley Prusiner - Discoverer of Prions

Steven DeArmond - Professor of Neuropathology

Entire 5 hour hearing - The California Channel
(scroll down to "022404 Senate Info-Hearing")
http://www.calchannel.com/february2004.htm
Related:

Beef recall secrecy fought - Under fire, state health officials are trying to get the USDA to change rule Sacramento Bee - 02/25/04
Mad cow censoring gets legislators' goat - Tainted-meat trail kept from public by deal with feds San Francisco Chronicle - 02/25/04

please note, this hearing and it's video was later removed from the internet. ...TSS

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