BSE Testing – Thoughts From The Middle of Nowhere

I see Creekstone Farms Premium Beef has finally prevailed and has received permission to <a hre="http://www.forextv.com/FT/AFX/ShowStory.jsp?seq=210481">perform <acronym title="Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy">BSE</acronym> testing</a> on all the beef it slaughters if that is what they want to do. This permission is tentative since the Judge stayed his ruling until June 1st so the Government can appeal the decision. n nI support Creekstone in its bid to test for <acronym title="Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy">BSE</acronym>. Why can't a private concern screen for <acronym title="Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy">BSE</acronym> if they want to? I would be curious to know what their procedure is going to be if they get a positive test. Announce it, get and official <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> test prior to announcment, ignore it and tell no one, what? This does concern me a little but I still think they should be able to test if they want. Maybe the <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> needs to work with them on procedures to use in case of a positive instead of just opposing it outright. That way they could work with the industry instead of against it. n nI also wonder if this might show more <acronym title="Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy">BSE</acronym> in the US herd than the <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> has found. I feel US beef is safe so I am not overly worried but there is always a kernel of worry in the back of a producers mind over these things. I've always said that <acronym title="Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy">BSE</acronym> has a naturally occurring variant and blanket testing might uncover it to the determent of the whole business. That doesn't change my opinion though, Creekstone should be able to test if they want. I just hope they handle false positives ethically. n nNever stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving. David Ogilvy