NEW MAD COW REGULATIONS STILL MAKE US MAD

In response to the discovery of the first case of Mad Cow Disease in the
U.S. last December, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced
it will increase testing of the nation’s cattle up to 240,000 cows per
year. Consumer groups, including the Organic Consumers Association and
the Consumers Union, say these new projections for testing are completely
inadequate, given that the U.S. Cattle industry slaughters 35 million
animals annually. The government and large beef corporations fear more
tests since they know Mad Cow disease has now spread to more and more
cattle in North America. However, many ranchers in Kansas, California,
and other states, desperate to regain their export markets, say they’re
willing to test all cows, as Japan and other nations have demanded. /old_articles/madcow/nytimes032204.cfm