We shouldn't wait for a major outbreak of mad cow disease to take greater preventive action. There is no question that we should not be feeding the remains of any mammals to food animals, and by not closing this dangerous loophole, we are exposing the American public to unnecessary risk.

So what's the point of having this animal ID system? This is one fact you actually really need to know when it comes to mad cow.

They seem to be, in terms of actions and policies, taking a lot more seriously the concerns of the cattle industry than the concerns of consumers. It's really hard to know what it takes to get this administration to take action to protect the public.

Safety and health regulations should not be second-guessed by trade officials.

This would be a tenth of a percent of all animals slaughtered. This starts to be so small that in our opinion, it approaches a policy of don't look, don't find.

Many countries where the disease is endemic have already taken action but they are overwhelmed by the situation and require urgent assistance. Fighting the disease in animals is key to our success in limiting the threat of a human pandemic. We know that the virus is being spread by wild birds but we need more research to fully understand their role.