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CNN Live Sunday
USDA Recalls Beef From 8 States
Aired December 28, 2003 - 18:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNNA ANCHOR: We begin with the mad cow scare. Meat from the animal infected with the disease has shown up in more states. But Agriculture Department officials continue to insist it poses virtually zero risk.
CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us from Washington. I'm not sure the public can take comfort yet, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, although the USDA officials today that we heard from, continue to emphasize they do feel, at least they say they feel, that America's beef supply is safe. But today, as you mentioned, the Agriculture Department added new states to the recall list out of what officials are calling an abundance of caution.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): USDA officials believe some of the meat from a cow infected with mad cow disease wound up in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, and the U.S. territory of Guam. In addition to the four states originally on the recall list, Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada. Officials continue to insist the risk to consumers is low, because the parts known to carry the disease, including the brain and spinal cord were removed before processing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The recalled beef presents an essentially zero risk to American consumers.
QUIJANO (on camera): So far, USDA officials have not definitively pinpointed where the infected cow came from, but their preliminary information tracks it to Alberta, Canada, where it was imported to the U.S., along with a herd of 33 years others more than two years ago.
(voice-over): But Canadian officials say it's still too early to talk about any definite links.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based on our understanding of the information compiled to date, it would be premature to draw such conclusions at this time.
QUIJANO: The USDA says ear tags were used to track the cow. And officials are in the process of trying to conduct DNA tests to confirm its origins.
The mad cow scare has prompted at least one lawmaker to call for better tracking of the nation's beef supply. In a statement, Senator Chuck Schumer said U.S. officials were caught unprepared. Said Schumer, "how much more of a wakeup call could we possibly need? We need a comprehensive way to track tainted meat and to pull it off the shelves."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: Now USDA officials say they are looking at other methods of tracking, including using electronic microchips on animals. But they say with millions of animals in the nation's food supply, they say any change to the system would be a huge undertaking -- Carol?
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Elaine Quijano reporting live there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 28, 2003 - 18:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNNA ANCHOR: We begin with the mad cow scare. Meat from the animal infected with the disease has shown up in more states. But Agriculture Department officials continue to insist it poses virtually zero risk.
CNN's Elaine Quijano joins us from Washington. I'm not sure the public can take comfort yet, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, although the USDA officials today that we heard from, continue to emphasize they do feel, at least they say they feel, that America's beef supply is safe. But today, as you mentioned, the Agriculture Department added new states to the recall list out of what officials are calling an abundance of caution.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): USDA officials believe some of the meat from a cow infected with mad cow disease wound up in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, and the U.S. territory of Guam. In addition to the four states originally on the recall list, Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada. Officials continue to insist the risk to consumers is low, because the parts known to carry the disease, including the brain and spinal cord were removed before processing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The recalled beef presents an essentially zero risk to American consumers.
QUIJANO (on camera): So far, USDA officials have not definitively pinpointed where the infected cow came from, but their preliminary information tracks it to Alberta, Canada, where it was imported to the U.S., along with a herd of 33 years others more than two years ago.
(voice-over): But Canadian officials say it's still too early to talk about any definite links.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based on our understanding of the information compiled to date, it would be premature to draw such conclusions at this time.
QUIJANO: The USDA says ear tags were used to track the cow. And officials are in the process of trying to conduct DNA tests to confirm its origins.
The mad cow scare has prompted at least one lawmaker to call for better tracking of the nation's beef supply. In a statement, Senator Chuck Schumer said U.S. officials were caught unprepared. Said Schumer, "how much more of a wakeup call could we possibly need? We need a comprehensive way to track tainted meat and to pull it off the shelves."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUIJANO: Now USDA officials say they are looking at other methods of tracking, including using electronic microchips on animals. But they say with millions of animals in the nation's food supply, they say any change to the system would be a huge undertaking -- Carol?
LIN: All right, thank you very much, Elaine Quijano reporting live there.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
