California Agriculture

The years 2003 and 2005 were pivotal for the North American cattle industry. In May 2003, Canada announced its first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease. This was the first time North America’s indigenous cattle had been confirmed to have BSE. Seven months later in December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that a dairy cow in Washington state (born in Canada and brought into the United States in 2001, at about 4 years old) had also tested positive for BSE. Then, in June 2005 USDA confirmed another U.S. case, this time “home-grown,” a 12-year-old cow from a herd in Texas. These events have resulted in vigorous debates over testing cattle for BSE in the United States, and several important new USDA regulations. The results of the United State’s expanded cattle-testing program will be watched closely in light of differing risk assessments about the prevalence of BSE in the United States. Increased testing could also have serious impacts on both domestic consumption and export markets for U.S. beef. Even as USDA continues to implement and refine new testing and other regulations, challenges from other countries and watchdog groups may result in more rigorous and transparent testing procedures. Other groups, including the beef industry, oppose more rigorous testing as causing unnecessary alarm.