Mad Cow disease in the U.S.
McDonald's in the United States has criticized the proposed rule on animal feed, according to the Associated Press. I find that remarkable. In a market economy, consumers are supposed to be able to feel safe and get the quality we want. The fact that global companies like McDonald's are sensitive to consumer pressure and thus demand stricter rules is encouraging.
The critics contended that the proposed rule "falls woefully short" of protecting consumers because it allows cattle to be fed restaurant waste and body tissue from dead cattle to which mad cow infection could have spread. Consumption of infected tissue is the primary way that mad cow disease is transmitted. The scientists wrote, "We do not feel that we can overstate the dangers ... from these diseases and the need to control and arrest them." McDonald’s stated that the risk of mad cow should be reduced to as close to zero as possible.
The critics contended that the proposed rule "falls woefully short" of protecting consumers because it allows cattle to be fed restaurant waste and body tissue from dead cattle to which mad cow infection could have spread. Consumption of infected tissue is the primary way that mad cow disease is transmitted. The scientists wrote, "We do not feel that we can overstate the dangers ... from these diseases and the need to control and arrest them." McDonald’s stated that the risk of mad cow should be reduced to as close to zero as possible.
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