Do “downer” cows threaten the safety of beef from “mad cow disease”?
No. Any cattle exhibiting signs of central nervous system disorder are banned from the food supply. Because the inability of cattle to walk can specifically be a symptom of BSE, USDA prohibits all animals that are unable to walk from entering the human food supply. However, the “downer cow” ban (“Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Disabled Cattle”) is just one of many safeguards designed to protect animal health and the human food supply from BSE.
