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Examines the consequences of the first United States case of mad-cow disease discovered at a meat plant in Moses Lake (Wash.). Screening measures in place designed to detect bovine spongiform encephalopathy; View of author that questions and concerns have been raised about the economic health of rural America and the safety of American beef; Comments from William D. Hueston, head of the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety at the University of Minnesota, regarding the probability that more than one cow has been exposed to mad-cow disease; Cost increase to the industry if it is forced to inspect every slaughtered cow; How the Holstein cow in Moses Lake was found to have mad-cow, suggesting the testing procedures are haphazard.

The article focuses on a new regulation that will place new restrictions on livestock feeds to introduced by the U.S. of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2008. According to a pre-publish copy of the document, the main objective of the measure is to reduce the risk of transmitting bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad-cow disease. The rule is also expected to help encourage foreign countries to lift import restrictions on U.S. beef. The FDA said compliance with the rule could cost the industry about $100 million for the first year.

Reports on the proposal of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of high-risk cattle parts in animal feeds to boost defenses against mad-cow disease.

Reports on the decision of the U.S. government to expand mad-cow regulations to all animal feed, as of September 2005.

Reports on the plan of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to tighten rules on animal feed in response to the threat of mad-cow disease.

Discusses the impact of the mad-cow disease on the prices of feed grains in the United States.

Discusses how the export of meat-and-bone meal from Great Britain could have spread bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Description of the exported meal, which is made from pulverized cattle parts and was shipped to the United States, Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia; Potential for the transmission of BSE, which can be passed to humans and become Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.