America and the BSE Scare: Near Misses, Future Lessons

Abstract

Today, the potential consequences of BSE, although perhaps not as great as originally feared, still demand attention at the highest level of government. In this paper, my goals are twofold: to place the development of the disease in its historical context, and to examine the options faced by government regulators in attempting to stem its spread. In Part I, I briefly trace the historical background of the "mad cow†scare, from its origin in England to the present day. In Part II, I examine the American response to the disease, situating steps taken by the United States government in the broader context of simultaneous developments occurring around the world. In Part III, I outline proposals made this month by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to impose a complete ban on certain types of animal feed implicated in the spread of "mad cow†disease. Finally, in Part IV, I present possible criticisms of the latest FDA proposals, arguing that they are too narrow to deal with the threat of human infection from unforeseen species and too difficult to enforce. In addition, I present alternative proposals to address each of these concerns.