By KAREN BINDER
Illinois Correspondent SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Department of Agriculture officials are applying nearly $500,000 of prevention to continue protecting its beef industry, thanks to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grant.
State ag officials were recently awarded $499,722 for a two-year program allowing for 300 on-farm inspections and 1,000 non-farm inspections for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The inspections will help ensure cattle feed produced and used in Illinois does not contain ingredients that could transmit Mad Cow disease.
Seven other states have received the program funding, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, Florida, Nebraska and Kansas.
This is a continuation of a similar three-year cooperative agreement with the FDA, ag department spokesman Jeff Squibb said.
“We’re trying to provide assurance that Illinois beef is safe. It’s also a reminder to producers to follow best practices,” Squibb said. “There are very serious financial implications here.”
Illinois ranked fifth nationwide in meat exports last year, including beef, with sales of $405 million, according state figures. Total domestic and export sales from 19,700 cattle farms totaled $2 billion.
This is a program that Teresa L. Steckler, Illinois Extension specialist for animal systems/beef, in Mount Vernon said is nothing but positive.
“The grant allows the continuation of on-farm surveillance. On-farm surveillance provides an additional layer of safety for the prevention of inadvertent feeding of contaminated feedstuffs. With that said, the surveillance program reassures consumers that beef produced in Illinois is safe to eat,” Steckler
commented.
During the past 15 years, Illinois has worked with FDA officials to inspect feed mills and feed manufacturing plants statewide, Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) Director Tom Jennings explained in a press release.
“This agreement will allow us to maintain our expanded on-farm surveillance efforts. We believe these inspections provide additional assurance to consumers and our agricultural trading partners that Illinois beef is safe to eat,” he said.
Although three cases of Mad Cow disease have been verified since 2003, no Mad Cow disease has been detected in Illinois to date, said Jim Larkin, bureau chief of ag products inspection.
The FDA has banned use of ruminant protein in feed for cattle and other ruminant animals since 1997. The ban is enforced through regular inspections. Also, the USDA last winter approved rules for banning high-risk animal parts, including brains and spinal cords from older cattle, from use in feed, including pet food.
The USDA has given livestock, feed, rendering and meat producers until April 2009 to prepare for the new standards.
“Illinois farmers have done an outstanding job of following the FDA guidelines put in place to maintain the health of their cattle as well as the Illinois beef industry,” Larkin said.
IDOA staff during the past three years have completed 450 on-farm inspections and 150 non-farm inspections, collecting and analyzing more than 1,500 cattle feed samples.
“It’s important not only for the safety of people, but also for the export of beef,” Larkin added. December 31, 2008 |
