M E M O R A N D U M
TO:      Reporters and Editors
RE:      BSE Detection in California
DA:     Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey released the following statement regarding the announcement today by USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford that a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) was detected in a dairy cow from central California.  The animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption and as a result is no threat to the safety of the food supply.  Samples from the animal were tested at the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames.

More information about today’s announcement can be found at www.usda.gov.  Secretary Northey’s statement follows here:

“This discovery shows that the current safeguards in place to protect consumers and the food supply are working.  Beef consumers in the U.S. and around the world should have tremendous confidence that Iowa and U.S. beef remains wholesome and safe.”

 

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