c h a n g e - 'Downer' cows banned from food supply....damn i already thought they were

[spanone]

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration on Saturday permanently banned the slaughter of cows too sick or weak to stand on their own, seeking to further minimize the chance that mad cow disease could enter the food supply.

The Agriculture Department proposed the ban last year after the biggest beef recall in U.S. history. The recall involved a Chino, Calif., slaughterhouse and "downer" cows. The Obama administration finalized the ban on Saturday.

"As part of our commitment to public health, our Agriculture Department is closing a loophole in the system to ensure that diseased cows don't find their way into the food supply," President Barack Obama said in his weekly radio and video address.


A partial ban on downer cows was already in place; it resulted from the nation's first case of mad cow disease, in 2003.

But there was a loophole. If a cow collapsed after passing inspection, government inspectors allowed the animal into the food supply if it had an acute injury, such as a broken leg, but showed no signs of central nervous disorder that might indicate the presence of mad cow disease.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29691788/

[Merlot]

1. I don't eat meat.

I stopped not because of health reasons, but because of how cows are treated (hormones, drugs, not being able to mover around). If I were to eat meat, I'd eat the organic, grass fed, farm raised.

The health benefits are a nice bonus, as well as money saved.

[madrchsod]

2. "canners and cutters"

soups,ground meat products,and dog food....yummy!