AR-News: (US) Feds investigating Texas mad cow breach

[Animalconcerns]

WASHINGTON, May 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Inspector
General has launched an investigation into allegations an agency
supervisor in Texas violated federal policy and ordered that a suspect cow
not be tested for mad cow disease, United Press International has learned.

"There was enough information that we decided we needed to independently
investigate," David Gray, special counsel to the USDA's Office of
Inspector General, told UPI.

"Media accounts reported that USDA procedures were not followed and USDA
officials directed the testing not occur, so we want to learn the facts,"
Gray added.

USDA policy is to test all cows with signs of a brain disorder or central
nervous system problems for mad cow disease, because this can be an
indication the animal is infected. However, the policy was breached on
April 27 by USDA inspectors at Lone Star Beef Processors in San Angelo,
Texas, when an animal displaying CNS signs was not tested.

The meatingplace.com, a Web site that covers the meat industry, reported
earlier this month that unnamed government and industry sources, who
claimed to have firsthand knowledge of the Texas incident, said a USDA
employee in Austin -- more than 200 miles from Lone Star Beef -- overruled
the agency inspectors at the plant and made the decision not to test the cow. 

full story:
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040519-051645-5125r

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