Court: U.S. Can Block Mad Cow Testing

WASHINGTON — In a case involving a Kansas company, a federal appeals court said today the government can prohibit meat packers from testing their animals for mad cow disease.

Because the Agriculture Department tests only a small percentage of cows for the deadly disease, Arkansas City meatpacker Creekstone Farms Premium Beef wants to test all of its cows. It sued the USDA for the right to do the testing.

Larger meat companies worry that if Creekstone is allowed to perform the test and advertise its meat as safe, they could be forced to do the expensive test, too.

Source: The Associated Press