Infected mad cow meat likely eaten by public

This report indicates it was pure luck mad cow was even detected.  Despite the assurances of the USDA, meat from the infected cow was consumed.  Now the Bushites are blaming Canada but Canada is denying this predictable claim. Kind of like the blackout shift blame game.  

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/107253027911210.xml

Public likely ate suspect cow meat

12/27/03

ANDY DWORKIN

Northwest residents probably have eaten meat from a Holstein with mad cow disease, agriculture officials said Friday, as several grocery chains recalled specific kinds of beef that could contain the cow's meat.  

Albertsons, Fred Meyer, Safeway and WinCo Foods all received batches of beef, which could have contained bits of the sick cow, from Interstate Meat Distributors in Portland. It was sold mostly as ground beef to Northwest customers from about Dec. 15 through Dec. 23 -- although Safeway's recall includes 69 pounds of "fresh beef hearts."

"From a practical standpoint, some of this has already been consumed and can't be recalled," given the beef's distribution dates, said Dalton Hobbes, a spokesman for Oregon's Department of Agriculture.

Also Friday, a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman said the sick cow's discovery was partly luck: Another of the 20 cows being slaughtered at Vern's Moses Lake Meats on Dec. 9 was acting strangely, so inspectors sent tissue from all 20 cows for testing, Daniel Puzo said. Those tests showed the disease instead affected the Holstein, whose only notable injury came while giving birth.

"It's very ironic, actually," Puzo said.

 Here is the Canadian response from BBC:

But his Canadian counterpart, Dr Evans, said the details on the cow's records in the US do not match those kept in Canada.

"As yet, there is no definitive evidence that confirms that the BSE-infected cow originated in Canada," Dr Evans said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3351547.stm