Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
"It is ironic in the extreme that an administration that's so interested in letting industry come up with its own solutions would come down with a heavy government hand on a company that's being creative," said one public health expert, commenting on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision not to allow Kansas' Creekstone Farms to test every cow it processes for mad cow disease. Creekstone wants 100% testing in order to resume sales to Japan, South Korea and other countries banning U.S. beef; the inability to export "is costing [Creekstone] $40,000 a day and forced it to lay off 50 employees." Industry associations, including the American Meat Institute and National Cattlemen's Beef Association, applauded the USDA, saying 100% testing is "not based on sound science."