Mad cow disease found in California Top beef exporter the United
States has revealed that a case of mad cow disease had been
discovered in California as it scrambled to reassure consumers
around the world. No meat has entered the food chain and the cow
"at no time presented a risk to the food supply or human
health", the Department of Agriculture said, pointing out that
the disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), cannot be
transmitted through milk. Despite the reassurances, the case set
alarm bells ringing as previous mad cow discoveries in the
United States, Canada, Israel, Europe and Japan have caused
disruptions to the global food trade worth billions of dollars.
A stream of sanctions and restrictions had to be introduced in
some cases and entire herds of cattle had to be slaughtered,
destroying the livelihoods of many farmers. The US government
went to great pains to stress that everything was under control.
"Evidence shows that our systems and safeguards to prevent BSE
are working, as are simila