What Dr Newell said is exactly right- My
husband was a food animal vet and now works for the State of NY. He tracks
back to origin, carcasses and milk that is found to be medicated, or diseased,
to insure that our food sources are safe. He conducts Cattle Health
Assurance programs and other specific disease control measures that depend on
the identification of specific animals.
Food animal terrorism is a distinct possibility in
these 'orange alert' times - in fact my personal opinion is that it would be a
good way to cripple this country - just introduce foot and mouth disease into a
herd in this country and watch our economy come to a grinding halt. Think
who it would affect - the animal farmer, the grain farmer and mills, the
trucking industry , the slaughter industry, the grocery, restaurants, exporters,
importers - actually that is the very tip of the iceberg. Think of what
would happen if all the meat in this country became suspect....whoa, we would be
in a heck of a mess.
I am sure the average consumer has no idea the time
and effort put into the safety of the food they consume. Being able to ID
individual animals is a big part of it.
Laura Hayes AERC#2741
CM Newell DVM :>>>......Being able to trace livestock all the way back to
the farm of origin is of enormous benefit in trying to control and eradicate
various animal diseases, some of which are zoonotic. For those who poo
poo the idea of disease eradication, there are a number of diseases of
domestic livestock which have been eradicated in the US. Being able to track
livestock has helped these efforts immensely.
For example, the
usefulness of being able to trace a carcass found to be riddled with
tuberculosis back to the farm of origin ought to be
self-evident.<<<<<
