Mad Cow Measures Questioned

FDA-developed guidelines to help eliminate mad cow disease are being called into question by industry officials. The regulations will prohibit cattle brains and spinal cords—the most high-risk tissue—from being rendered for animal feed. Officials are now concerned that farmers’ alternative methods of dealing with the deceased, whether burying on farm land or simply leaving the remains to compost, will cause contamination to soil and groundwater. The FDA’s aim is to prevent contaminated feed from being fed to pigs and chickens, which then could be rendered back into feed for cows. Either way, this vicious cycle is a lose-lose situation for both animals and humans.