What's Being Done?
The USDA and FDA have taken aggressive measures to prevent the potential spread of BSE in the U.S. The type of protein that causes mad cow disease cannot be removed or destroyed when beef is processed or cooked. For this reason, the U.S. government has established several meat processing procedures to protect the public.
One of these steps involves removing the parts of the cow that are at highest risk of containing BSE-causing proteins — the brain and spinal cord — to reduce the chances of them contaminating the meat people eat. In 2009, the FDA put into place additional safeguards to help protect consumers from BSE. These prohibit the use of any high-risk cattle materials in the feed of any animal. In this way, the FDA continues to decrease the already tiny possibility of infection with BSE.
The government has a recall policy for meat that's suspected of being contaminated.
If you're wondering if you can get sick from drinking cow's milk, the FDA says there is no evidence that the disease is transmitted through cow's milk and milk products.
The good news is that it's highly unlikely that a person will contract vCJD from eating beef. vCJD itself is very rare. And because of the control measures now in place, the chance that you will eat meat infected with BSE is extremely low.
One of these steps involves removing the parts of the cow that are at highest risk of containing BSE-causing proteins — the brain and spinal cord — to reduce the chances of them contaminating the meat people eat. In 2009, the FDA put into place additional safeguards to help protect consumers from BSE. These prohibit the use of any high-risk cattle materials in the feed of any animal. In this way, the FDA continues to decrease the already tiny possibility of infection with BSE.
The government has a recall policy for meat that's suspected of being contaminated.
If you're wondering if you can get sick from drinking cow's milk, the FDA says there is no evidence that the disease is transmitted through cow's milk and milk products.
The good news is that it's highly unlikely that a person will contract vCJD from eating beef. vCJD itself is very rare. And because of the control measures now in place, the chance that you will eat meat infected with BSE is extremely low.