050627 Mad Cow Was Found At Champion Pet Foods Plant

Washington - The U.S. beef cow recently confirmed as the first American-born animal to be infected with mad cow disease was found at a Champion Pet Foods plant in Waco, Texas, the company said.

The infected cow was already dead when it arrived at the Waco-based pet food facility on Nov. 15, the company said.

"We followed our normal daily procedures and sent a sample from this cow to the USDA-approved laboratory at Texas A&M," said Champion President Benjy Bauer in a prepared statement.

"No part of the cow entered the pet food chain," he added.

The Agriculture Department on Wednesday said the infected animal, the second case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to be found in the United States, was born and raised on the same Texas farm, but did not identify the plant where it was found.

The USDA declined to disclose the name of the facility because it did not want to discourage plants from voluntarily identifying animals for mad cow testing.

The USDA has traced the Texas herd where the infected beef cow was born. State animal health officials have placed a hold order on the animals.

The USDA has begun to identify offspring and herdmates that were born within a year of the infected animal.

At the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, traders shrugged off the news and said the first U.S. native case should not have an impact on the cattle market because it is not expected to affect domestic consumer demand.

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns expressed optimism that the new case would not affect beef trade talks with major trading partners Japan and Taiwan.

"My hope is that there is no delay whatsoever," he told reporters. "Japan has been very, very measured in their response and very willing to work with us on this issue."

Johanns said he was also encouraged by last weekend's reaction from Taiwanese consumers when they flocked to grocery stores to purchase U.S. beef after the government announced it would ban the products.

Taiwan, previously the sixth-largest U.S. beef market by value, was the only country to reinstitute a ban on U.S. beef because of the new case.

"My hope is that that's a temporary ban and obviously the consumers want our beef," he told reporters.

The previous U.S. confirmed case of mad cow disease was found in December 2003 in a Washington state dairy cow imported from Canada.

RETURN TO HOME PAGE

E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com