France reported four new cases of mad cow disease today, including the first detected under a new testing scheme for all cattle aged over 30 months that are destined for the food chain.
The first case unveiled by the testing programme, which the government launched earlier this month to calm consumer fears about the fatal, brain-wasting illness, involved an animal born in 1995 in the Ain region of eastern France.
Since the new system began on January 2, laboratories have conducted more than 71,000 tests.
The new findings brought to 10 the total number of cases of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), found this year in France. A total of 162 cases were found in 2000.
Concern over the disease, which scientists believe can be passed to humans via infected meat products, sparked consumer panic last year in France. The government then banned meat and bone meal in animal feed, took T-bone steaks off menus and instituted health tests for cattle.
Reuters