Investigative Agency Says U.S. Government Unprepared For Mad Cow Disease
February 27, 2002
The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), a congressional investigative agency, criticized the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday for substandard preparation in the fight against mad cow disease. In the report, GAO officials say the USDA and the FDA are unprepared for a possible mad cow outbreak in the U.S.
According to the GAO's investigation, the agencies implement substandard import controls and fail to test many animals for the disease. The report also claims the feed industry is insufficiently regulated. A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture vehemently denied the GAO's allegations, saying the agencies have taken "aggressive steps" to ensure mad cow is kept out of the United States.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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