My Beef with the USDA

I heard a report on NPR the other day talking about a beef co-op that raised premium beef cattle, mostly for sale in Japan. Of course since the whole Mad-Cow Disease scare, Japan won't import American beef. While Americans have long since forgotten the problem, Japan hasn't. So this co-op, and Creekstone Farms, another company before them, want to test every single one of thier cattle to prove they're Mad-Cow-Free. Great idea some would say, but then they probably don't know that it's somehow illegal.

The USDA won't give permission to these companies to test all of thier cattle. Why? Because that would set a new standard and Big Beef would have to follow suit, which would be damn expensive, and who cares about quality if it fucks with the profits?

Minimum testing standards make sense to me. Obviously it's cheaper and easier and in most cases sufficient to only test a certain quantity. But I had no idea there were maximum testing standards...and that pisses me off. Since when does anyone place a limit on the amount you can test. If testing some is good, testing more can only be better. The fact that the USDA would prevent testing is ludicrous. So what if it sets a higher standard, they're already in the business of premium beef, this creates another level of premium in my opinion. Isn't that how capitalism works? If testing all thier cattle allows them to sell it in various markets then what's the harm? How is more testing bad? But my bigger complaint is why do companies have to get permission to test more? Who the hell made that rule and how does it get changed? Creekstone Farms is now suing over the issue. I wish them well.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rup29.6apr29,1,2915631.story?coll=la-headlines-business

•  Infuriated like you

  Only I would add something to this:

  The USDA won't give permission to these companies to test all of thier cattle. Why? Because that would set a new standard and Big Beef would have to follow suit, which would be damn expensive, and who cares about quality if it fucks with the profits?

  The USDA won't give permission to test all cattle because, if mainstream beef producers begin to test more cattle, then they will undoubtedly find more Mad Cow cases, in groups that are currently not tested at all. Which will sink the beef market here and abroad.

  I don't know if you knew this, but when the Mad Cow case first came out in December, there were 3 employees of the slaughterhouse who were silenced (because they all offered consistent evidence that the cow in question was not a Downer, and therefore would not have been tested under current "minimum testing" standards), and a fourth was almost certainly instructed to lie about the case from someone at the top, like Ann Veneman. In short, they've covered up the fact that their current "scientific" testing policies did not cover that cow. Their current testing regimen is not adequate to protect the food supply.

  by emptywheel on Thu Apr 29, 2004 at 09:19:09 AM PDT

  •  damnit

    ya know, some thing i just don't want to know. i already know our food testing sucks, but i love my burgers and cheesesteaks... i didn't know about the silenced employees, but your theory sounds completly reasonable. damnit. instead of pushing for more testing for everyone, we're busy fighting the little guys from testing more than we want. blows my mind. hopefully my mind stays mad-cow free. thanks for the info.

    by gregonthe28th on Thu Apr 29, 2004 at 02:01:28 PM PDT

•  Gotta agree

  This is quite clearly the Free Market prevailing.  Creekstone farms has found a market and to cater to that market they must provide some value-add services.

  To be opposed to such a business move is to hate Capitalism.
  

  by Steve4Clark on Thu Apr 29, 2004 at 09:48:27 AM PDT