Posted January 23, 2014
German officials have identified one case of bovine
spongiform encephalitis (BSE), also known as “Mad Cow Disease”, according to a
Food Safety News article available here.
This is the first reported case in Germany since
2009. While the animal did not show
symptoms of BSE, it was tested for the disease because it was 10 years
old. It tested positive for an “atypical
type of BSE, L-type, which develops spontaneously in older cattle.” The cow was destroyed and none of the meat
entered the human food chain.
Germany’s BSE screening protocol requires any beef
cattle older than eight years to be tested for BSE, according to an article by
the Journal Star available here.
While BSE is not considered contagious, the diseased
cow’s herd has been quarantined until further testing is completed.
BSE originated “with the practice of feeding cattle
meat and bone meal, a substitute for soy beans, which can be difficult to grow
in Europe.” BSE causes variant
Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease (vCJD), which humans can contract from eating meat
contaminated with brain or spinal tissue from cattle infected with BSE. BSE is particularly worrisome because it is
not destroyed when cooked.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) recently announced a final rule that will align the Agency’s import
regulations for BSE with international standards. Additional information on the final rule is
available here.
For more information on food safety, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
