06.24.05

Cantwell: FDA needs to close loopholes to restore consumer, international confidence in US beef industry

Almost 18 months after FDA announced rules closing feed ban loopholes, action still not taken

WASHINGTON, DC – As the Bush Administration announced that a new case of mad cow has been confirmed, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) stressed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs to keep a promise it made 18 months ago, and close feed ban loopholes.

"While the beef industry and the ranchers back in Washington state have been working non-stop to restore consumer confidence, the administration has been dragging its heels on important safety measures," Cantwell said.

Cantwell supports the enhanced testing protocols announced today by Sec. of Agriculture Mike Johanns, but she blasted the administration's failure to close the feed ban loopholes, as promised by then-FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan and HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on January 26, 2004.

The administration announced today that the cow infected with mad cow was born before the original 1997 feed ban was put into place. However, taking these additional safety measures are important to minimizing the possibility of future mad cow cases and restoring consumer and international confidence in our beef supply.

"It is outrageous that the administration continues to stall on closing these loopholes," Cantwell said. "How many more mad cow cases must be discovered before the administration provides more than lip service?"

On July 9, 2004, the FDA publicly changed its tune – albeit buried deep in an Advanced Notice of Public Rulemaking: "FDA decided not to issue an interim final rule with the changes to the feed ban described in the January 26 announcement."

Last December, a year after the first case of mad cow was confirmed, Cantwell called on the FDA to close the loopholes as they had promised. She sent a letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, calling on the agency to impose the rules that it originally announced.

In addition to urging FDA to enact its rules, Cantwell is author of legislation that would enhance protections against the spread of Mad Cow by banning the use of Specified Risk Materials as ingredients in all animal feed, including pet food. (Animal Feed Protection Act of 2005, S.73)

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