[spacefreak]

I am amazed that the discovery of 1 cow with Mad Cow disease can wreak so much economic havoc. Just w/ the one cow, it's an estimated 2$2 billion dollar loss.

Selected snippets from this article:

The market for U.S. beef exports effectively shut down on Wednesday in the fallout from the first case of mad cow disease in the United States and public health investigators combed a tiny Washington state town to pinpoint the cause of the potentially fatal disease.

Japan, Mexico and South Korea (news - web sites), the top three markets for U.S. beef, were among about a dozen countries that banned imports after learning that a single 4-year-old Holstein cow tested positive for the brain-wasting disease.

The discovery threatened the $27 billion U.S. cattle industry. An initial estimate by Purdue University put the loss at $2 billion for next year due to lost exports and lower cattle prices.

But investor's vented their worries by selling stock in restaurant chains that specialize in hamburgers, like McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's, and cattle futures fell by the limit allowed by the exchange.

An outbreak of the disease in Europe more than a decade ago resulted in 137 human deaths, mostly in Britain, and the destruction of some 3.7 million cattle in that country.

Investigators were trying to pin down where the infected cow picked up the disease. The animal has been traced to a dairy farm in the town of Mabton in Washington state.

Verns Moses Lake Meats, a small slaughter company in Washington state, recalled more than 10,000 pounds of raw beef due to concern it may contain tainted meat.

The market impact from the mad cow scare was wide-ranging. Cattle and grain futures traded in Chicago fell sharply on fears that domestic beef sales will be hurt and exports of U.S. beef will be shut off. Soybean futures, meanwhile, rose on hopes for increased demand.

Shares in restaurant operators plunged and the dollar sank to a record low against the euro.

[The Ayatollah]

Other countries are just protecting their herds. I don't blame them--it's just policy, and the US does it to other mad cow-afflicted nations.

[spacefreak]

Originally posted by The Ayatollah:
Other countries are just protecting their herds. I don't blame them--it's just policy, and the US does it to other mad cow-afflicted nations.

Yes, i realize and understand that.

I was amazed more at the economical hit on the US from the discovery of one positive cow. Currently: 1 cow = $2 billion.

[spiky_dog]

the ironic thing is that this cow came from a slaughterhouse near moses lake, washington (where my parents moved to for 4 years following my graduation from high school, they've moved since). moses lake is also the home of frontier middle school, which was the site of the first school shooting.

[eklipse]

Originally posted by spacefreak:
Currently: 1 cow = $2 billion.

Damn. How much for just the salad?

[macvillage.net]

Yep, it's policy. We did the same thing to other nations.

The US is so afraid of diseases getting to our livestock, it's a federal crime to smuggle pig or bull semen into the United States (yes, someone actually got arrested for that before)... imagine that on your police record.

Would you really want the US to not prohibit the possible import of tainted meat? Most likely not. Why would another nation do differently?



The US is going to suffer a bit for sure, but it will pass.

Several years ago, Britain, among other countries wanted the US to participate in some massive international research for Mad Cow Disease, as well as prevention of other diseases in livestock.

Sadly... it was turned down except some limited funding/research, because just blocking import was though to be a good solution.

Would have been a lot better if the US had already been several years into research on this, and other diseases which are bad, and not well studied. Now the US will rush for a few years, trying to make up for lost time.


But I think the point will get across very quickly that our food supply is important for both food, and our economy. We need to protect it.

Perhaps this is what's needed to wake up America to this problem

Unlike most countries, America really never had a food contamination problem. Most countries have had plagues, famines, crop diseases, disasters, etc. throughout history. The closest to one we had was the great depression. Governments wised up when history showed how bad the times could be... when church registers showed the giant books of dead from just a few months time.

The US doesn't see that history as "our" history.... it's "their problem".

I would like to hope that this will serve as a small warning that you can't be to careful with food. Ensuring it's safe, and plentiful is essential. And something taken for granted way to often.

It's not impossible for a crop disease to reach the US and destroy billions of dollars in food driving up prices. It's just a matter of time.

Hopefully it will never happen. But I personally feel a few dollars spent ensuring the welfare of the food supply is well spent.

bias: most important thing in my life is a full feeling for my tummy. I'm always thinking about food.

[OldManMac]

One less reason to eat red meat.

[dtriska]

Originally posted by spacefreak:
I am amazed that the discovery of 1 cow with Mad Cow disease can wreak so much economic havoc. Just w/ the one cow, it's an estimated 2$2 billion dollar loss.

I'm amazed you didn't know this. Canada's one mad cow has caused $3.3 billion damage, and our economy is a tenth the size of yours.

http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/CBC/2003/12/25/bse031224

[Face Ache]

Unfortunately this was preventable.

They could have tested Ann Coulter any time.

[pimephalis]

Originally posted by dtriska:
I'm amazed you didn't know this. Canada's one mad cow has caused $3.3 billion damage, and our economy is a tenth the size of yours.

http://www.cbc.ca/storyview/CBC/2003/12/25/bse031224

The U.S. problem is all our fault though, don't you know! Or may be. Or may not be. Never too early to begin casting doubt, however.

[OldManMac]

Originally posted by Face Ache:
Unfortunately this was preventable.

They could have tested Ann Coulter any time.

Thanks for the laugh: I needed one this morning!

[Aiglos]

Originally posted by spacefreak:
[B]I am amazed that the discovery of 1 cow with Mad Cow disease can wreak so much economic havoc. Just w/ the one cow, it's an estimated 2$2 billion dollar loss.

Where the *&%@ have you been in the last 6 months?

[spacefreak]

Originally posted by Aiglos:
Where the *&%@ have you been in the last 6 months?

Here in the US, working hard, taking care of my home, hanging with family and friends, etc.. I definitely haven't been spending time projecting the various hits to the US economy that would likely occur due to single and/or multiple Mad Cow discoveries.

[Aiglos]

Originally posted by spacefreak:
Here in the US, working hard, taking care of my home, hanging with family and friends, etc.. I definitely haven't been spending time projecting the various hits to the US economy that would likely occur due to single and/or multiple Mad Cow discoveries.

Maybe if you payed attention to the news, you'd realize what 1 case of mad cow can do to an economy. I'll leave it up to you to find the obvious answer...

[spacefreak]

Originally posted by Aiglos:
Maybe if you payed attention to the news, you'd realize what 1 case of mad cow can do to an economy. I'll leave it up to you to find the obvious answer...

Whatever you say, champ. I posted that I was unaware ("amazed" was the term). I don't know what more you want out of me.

Any chance you want to comment on the issue, or do you just want to talk trash?

[adamk]

DNA testing seeks to locate infected cow's birthplace

the complete impact of mad cow is still unknown, and may not be known for a while. as the article states, they are still trying to determine where the cow came from, and specifically, where the feed that infected the animal was used.

given the fact that cows are moved around from farm to farm, those striken with the disease may be difficult to track down and their paths may encompass dozens of farms. this one cow has already been to 8 different states after butcher. if it turns out that ten cows were infected, it could mean a large-scale nation-wide recall.

fortunately, the FDA, as a result of the UK's experience, has limited the main form of transmission, so hopefully it won't reach the scale seen over there. though,the regulation of the beef industry could be better.

glad to be a vegetarian, adam

[davesimondotcom]

Originally posted by KarlG:
One less reason to eat red meat.

I love yummy red meat...you just have to be careful where you get it. Just like any other food.

You wouldn't buy seafood if you walked into the fish monger's and smelled anything other than good fresh sea smell.

You also shouldn't buy certain cuts of red meat. Ever. Don't buy ground beef at a store, buy some chuck and grind it yourself. That way you are sure of what goes into it.

Mad cow, as I understand it, is in the brain and nervous system, not muscles of the cow. Therefore, don't grind up brain or spinal cord.

I find it curious that this was a DAIRY cow, yet they allowed it to be slaughtered for beef after it was downed. That doesn't seem like good "decision making."

P.S. I'll have a steak - rare.

[NYCFarmboy]

I'm very happy to see this "scandel" is dissapearing.

Too bad it takes 30,000 people actually dying in Iran to get the News media off of one sick Canadian cow.

I think the media and anti-meat consumption groups were happy to attack America all they could.

But most people are getting sick and tired of being told whichever food of the month is going to kill them.

All things in Moderation. Extremism on these food scares is getting so old.

[dtriska]

Originally posted by NYCFarmboy:
I'm very happy to see this "scandel" is dissapearing.

Too bad it takes 30,000 people actually dying in Iran to get the News media off of one sick American cow.

I think the media and anti-meat consumption groups were happy to attack America all they could.

But most people are getting sick and tired of being told whichever food of the month is going to kill them.

All things in Moderation. Extremism on these food scares is getting so old.

Fixed.

[spacefreak]

Originally posted by adamk:
glad to be a vegetarian, adam

Unless you lived in Pennsylvania a few months ago and took a liking to Mexican food with scallions. A hearty steak would have been your best bet.

[davesimondotcom]

Originally posted by spacefreak:
Unless you lived in Pennsylvania a few months ago and took a liking to Mexican food with scallions. A hearty steak would have been your best bet.

And take note that when there was a big scare about beef and e-coli poisoning (Jack-in-the-Box), it was tainted lettuce in one case and unpasteurized apple juice in another. Neither were hamburgers. Yet, I still can't get a restaurant to serve me a decent rare to medium rare burger anymore.

But they'd gladly put lettuce on my burned meat.

[Buck_Naked]

Can we blame the Clinton administration for this???

[davesimondotcom]

Originally posted by Buck_Naked:
Can we blame the Clinton administration for this???

No, we already decided to Blame Canada.

First Celine Dion.

Now Mad Cow.

Bastards.

[dtriska]

It's retaliation for that damn pop music you sent northward. Backstreet Boys, N' Sync and Britney. Ugh.