January 23, 2004 Michael Greger, M.D. for the Organic Consumers Association

The United States is violating all four concrete recommendations laid down by the World Health Organization to prevent the spread of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), or Mad Cow disease, into the human population. Inadequate testing of the brains of U.S. cattle is likely missing hundreds of cases of BSE and inadequate testing of the brains of human dementia victims is likely missing hundreds of cases of the human spongiform encephalopathy, sporadic Creutzfeldt Jakob disease. New research suggests that some of these cases of the sporadic form of CJD may be caused by eating BSE-infected meat. Until we follow the guidelines set forth by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and enact science-based safeguards proven to work in Europe-such as a total ban on the feeding of slaughterhouse waste, blood and excrement to farmed animals, and dramatically increased surveillance for both these diseases-the safety of the American food supply will remain in question.

CONTENTS:

Introduction

WHO Recommendation #1:
Stop Feeding Infected Animals to Other Animals

WHO Recommendation #2:
All Countries Must Establish Adequate Testing & Surveillance

WHO Recommendation #3:
Stop Feeding Bovine Brains, Eyes, Spinal Cords, & Intestines to People or Livestock

-High Risk Tissues in Human Food
-Advanced Meat Recovery
-Central Nervous Contamination in Other Meat Products
-Prion Infection Within Muscle
-Some Sporadic CJD May be Caused by Eating Meat
-Are Thousands of Americans Dying From Sporadic CJD?
-High Risk Tissues in Animal Feed
-Feeding Poultry Litter to Cattle

WHO Recommendation #4:
Stop Weaning Calves on Cow's Blood

Conclusion

References

Now Available at http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/Greger.pdf