Obama permanently bans slaughter of sick, diseased cows (so you don't eat them!)

The government on Saturday permanently banned the slaughter of cows too sick or weak to stand on their own, seeking to further minimize the chance that mad cow disease could enter the food supply.

The Agriculture Department proposed the ban last year after the biggest beef recall in U.S. history. The recall involved a Chino, Calif., slaughterhouse and "downer" cows. The Obama administration finalized the ban on Saturday.

"As part of our commitment to public health, our Agriculture Department is closing a loophole in the system to ensure that diseased cows don't find their way into the food supply," President Barack Obama said in his weekly radio and video address.

Obama called the country's food inspection system "a hazard to public health," citing outbreaks of deadlyfood poisoning in peanuts this year, peppers and possibly tomatoes last year and spinach in 2006.

There have been three confirmed cases of BSE in the United states, in a Canadian-born cow in 2003 in Washington state, in 2005 in Texas and in 2006 in Alabama. The Bush administration in 2006 dramatically scaled back testing for mad cow disease.


I am so glad to see this! I haven't eaten chicken since 2003 and I haven't eaten any other meat since I was 12! I tend to look down on people who still eat meat. It has to be known by now that these animals are abused until they die horrific deaths. If you can know that information and think that because you aren't actually killing the animal that you are not causing their deaths, you are in denial. I am so happy that some animal is finally getting the protection that they *all* deserve! This is an awesome first step!