USDA Confirms Third BSE Case
by March 27, 2006 12:00 am 66 views
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed on March 13 that a 10-year-old Alabama cow had tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease.
The result came from what is thought to be a cow of the Santa Gertrudis breed, according to the American Meat Institute. The cow was confirmed through the use of a Western Blot test that was conducted in Ames, Iowa.
The announcement marks the third discovery of the disease since a Canadian-born Holstein cow first tested positive for BSE in December 2003. In June, a second case of BSE was discovered in an 8-year-old beef cow born and raised in Texas.
The confirmation of the disease in the animal sent shares of Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale down 4 percent to close at $13.06 on March 13, but it was back up to $13.62 per share as of March 21. The share price has decreased about 24 percent since trading at $17.98 per share on Oct. 3, the beginning of Tyson’s 2006 fiscal year.
Tyson Foods spokesman Gary Mickelson said the Alabama cow has no ties to Tyson Foods or any of its meat operations.
“We remain confident in the safety of our beef products because of the kind of cattle we buy and the precautionary measures we take, Mickelson said in a released statement. “We don’t expect today’s finding to change consumer demand for beef.”
When the first case of U.S. BSE was confirmed in Canadian-born Holstein cow in Washington state, Tyson Foods shares closed at a price of $12.90 per share, a 7 percent drop from the closing price on Dec. 23. Fast-food giants McDonald’s Corp., Wendy’s International Inc. and Burger King all reported no apparent negative impact on their sales through the end of 2003.
Mickelson said Tyson typically buys beef animals that are less than 30 months old. Animals that age aren’t usually in the BSE risk group. “We also make sure materials from beef cattle that can potentially carry BSE, such as the brain and spinal cord, are removed and do not enter the food supply.
“Today’s test results once again show the U.S. beef industry’s BSE surveillance efforts are working,” Mickelson said.
The age of the 10-year old cow would mean it was born before 1997, which is when the Food and Drug Administration implemented its ban on ruminant-to-ruminant feeding practices.