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The article focuses on a marketing campaign which the U.S. Meat Export Federation is using in Japan to get the Japanese to eat more U.S. beef. The Japaneses government banned U.S. beef in 2003 after an outbreak of mad cow disease, but the ban was lifted in June of 2007, and the federation, through the campaign which uses baseball legend Nolan Ryan, wants to get the Japanese back to eating U.S. beef instead of the beef of other countries including Australia.

Examines the testing methods in place in the United States to determine safety in the beef supply from mad-cow disease. Number of companies that have test kits that can determine whether a slaughtered cow carries bovine spongiform encephalopathy within four hours; Average cost per animal for the testing of each cow slaughtered, according to industry experts, indicating a profit can still be made off the beef from the that cow; Statistics related to the cost of testing U.S. cows under the standards currently in place in Europe; Comments from Scott McKinlay, president of InPro Biotechnology Inc., a maker of test-kits; Comments from Kazuki Ikeda, an official in Japan's Agriculture Ministry's Department of Meat and Poultry, regarding the safety of testing every cow as they do in Japan; Current guidelines in the U.S.

Reports the mad-cow scare in the United States send prices lower under intense trading on the commodities market. Number of time the Chicago Mercantile Exchange has expanded the daily limits on how far prices can drop since the discovery of a cow with bovine spongiform encephalopathy; Comments from Phil Stanley, an analyst and trader, regarding the activity on the floor of the commodities exchange; Negative impact of the BSE discovery on cattle prices and beef demand, which had been soaring in 2003; Comments from Lisa Howard, spokesperson for McDonald's Corp., regarding stable demand for food products from their fast-food restaurants; Concern about the reaction from other countries relative to demand for U.S. beef.

Focuses on the immediate future of advertising by the beef industry in light of the recent discovery of mad-cow disease in the United States. Comments from Boyd Hoback, chief executive of Good Times Burgers and Frozen Custard, whose company began an advertising campaign featuring the marketing claim that their beef was all-natural; Definition of the all-natural, according to the company; View of author that food companies don't market "safety" in the advertisements for fear it would raise more concerns than erase; View of Roger Viadero, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector, that beef purveyors should and will market the safety measures they take.

Answers several questions related to mad-cow disease based on information the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. What is mad-cow disease; How people can get mad-cow disease; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Causes on mad-cow disease; Riskiest parts of the cattle to eat; Testing for mad-cow disease; Organic or grass-fed beef; Safety of meat already in consumers' homes.

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 reports that South Korea has suspended beef imported from the U.S. after inspectors found bone pieces banned over mad-cow concerns in a recent shipment. The country's Ministry of Agriculture said vertebrae were found in one box of meat, which believed at risk of carrying mad-cow disease.

This article presents world news briefs. The administration of U.S. President George W. Bush will fight a ruling that allows meat packers to test their animals for mad-cow disease. A deal was made between the Italian government and labor unions to renew public employees' contracts with wage increases that will be retroactive by February 2008. A 2009 deadline was set to complete negotiations on an international climate-change pact that will limit greenhouse gases.

The article reports on the efforts of the U.S. government to end U.S. beef-trade barriers. According to Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, the government is strengthening pressure on Japan and South Korea to lift restrictions on U.S. beef. Since December 2003, it has been convincing importers about the safety of U.S. beef, after the case of mad cow disease was first discovered. Philip Seng of Meat Export Federation said that the beef exports to South Korea may rise back in 2010.

Reports on the decision of the U.S. Agriculture Department to promote beef imports from Canada despite mad-cow disease reports.

Focuses on the testing of cattle for mad-cow disease in the United States. Why the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not allow private testing for the disease; Comments from one U.S. resident, expressing anger that only the USDA can test for the disease; View of author that the USDA's qualms about allowing private testing reflects the agency's desire to promote the cattle industry; Comments from David Luker, who owns Missouri Valley Natural Beef, regarding the USDA's policy of being the only certified tester of beef; Indications of public support for expanded options in the testing of cattle.

Focuses on cattle auctions in the United States in light of the recent discovery of a case of mad-cow disease in the U.S. Description of the scene at the Fort Pierre (S.D.) Livestock Auction, which was the first major cattle auction since the discovery of mad-cow disease in the U.S.; Comments from Dick Hanson, regarding the trepidation cattle farmers are facing in light of the mad-cow discovery; Reduction in the cattle inventory of the Fort Pierre auction, indicating several cattle farmers are cancelling; Efforts of Dennis Hanson and Johnny Smith to keep the auction open; Percentage reduction in cattle price futures.

Focuses on the beef industry's safety measures when inspecting for mad-cow disease or other public health concerns. Discussion of the feeds that are given to animals, which is the way bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is passed from one animal to another; Excerpt of a report from the Institute of Medicine, claiming that U.S. measures to prevent BSE entering the food chain are not foolproof; Statistics related to the testing process of cattle for BSE, suggesting it was just dumb luck that the most recent discovery was made and not a system that works; Discussion of "downer" animals -- those that can't walk into a slaughter house -- which are still processed for human consumption; Comments from John Stauber, co-author of "Mad Cow USA," regarding the testing procedures in the beef industry.

Reports on the decision of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush to ban the meatpacking industry from slaughtering sick cattle or downer cattle for human consumption because of the mad-cow disease, as of December 2003.

Assesses news events impacting the American economy. Analysis of the impact of mad-cow disease on the U.S. beef industry; Comments from Nick Bohnsack, an analyst at ISI, regarding the potential benefits to McDonald's shares should the mad-cow incident prove to be isolated; Details of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fines and penalties assessed against Jean-Marie Messier, former chief executive officer at Vivendi.

Reports that U.S. Federal officials have announced they have foud the first case of mad cow disease. Efforts to track down the possibly infected meat before it reaches consumers; How the U.S. cattle industry is the largest part of the American agriculture sector; Effects this news will have on restaurants.

Reports on the market sale and demand for beef products in the U.S., during the 2003 Memorial Day holiday weekend, following news on mad-cow disease in Canada.

Focuses on the allegations of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee against the meat industry in Great Britain in 2001 for withholding information the mad cow disease.

Discusses the surge in the popularity of horse meat in Europe, in light of outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and foot-and-mouth disease. Statement that the horses are not susceptible to the diseases; Trade of meat from the United States and Canada to Europe; Purchase of horses for meat at horse auctions in the U.S.

Reports on unsavory practices discovered by Italian officials as the country search its meat-processing plants for further cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Provides information on the meat market crisis in Germany due to the spongiform encephalopathy or mad-cow disease. Reason behind the presence of the disease in the country; Details on the effort of the country to test its meat.

Focuses on the effects of regulations proposed by the President of the United States Bill Clinton's administration to lessen the chance of mad-cow disease in the United States on meatpackers. Information on the proposed by the Food and Drug Administration; Information on mad-cow disease also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy; Comments from Bert Mitchell, acting associate director of the FDA's center for veterinary medicine.