Opposition to Canadian beef is about money, not public health

This week President Bush authorized the return of Canadian beef to the U.S. market after banning it a year and a half ago after a Canadian cow was diagnosed with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as Mad Cow disease. The FDA had investigated and concluded that Canadian beef is just as safe as American beef and cleared the way for the return of Canadian cows that were born after a nationwide ban on feeding ruminants (meat and bone) began in 1997. Despite the safeguards, the American beef industry is having kittens over the Bush administrations decision. Why? Not because they believe that Canadian beef is dangerous and poses a public health risk, but rather because for the last year and a half, American beef producers have enjoyed a near total monopoly of the U.S. beef market. This has allowed them to significantly enrich themselves at the expense of competition and the consumer. So as this debate continues going forward, please keep in mind that the risk to public health from BSE is negligible, this is really a debate about economics. To learn more about Mad Cow disease click here. For the FDA BSE page click here.