Little Beef with Beef since Mad Cow Discovery

Despite last’s month’s first recorded case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, so-called mad cow disease, in the United States, few Alabamians seem to have much of a beef with beef.

While conceding the discovery of the first recorded case of mad cow in the United States is a problem, most concede it hasn’t changed their eating habits or undermined their confidence in the U.S. food supply.

A poll conducted by the Mobile-Press Register and the University of South Alabama shows that 84 percent of respondents believe the U.S. food supply is “very safe” or “somewhat safe.” Seventy-four percent of respondents who identified themselves as beef eaters said they had not reduced their beef intake since the detection of mad cow disease.

The view in Alabama appears to be reflected throughout the rest of the country when beef prices are taken into account. Beef industry prices continue to recover after announcement of the mad cow discovery last month. Strong prices are expected, though the recovery is not expected to reach the levels of a year ago.

"Prices are less than what we had originally forecasted, revised down from $11 to $14 per hundred weight for each weight class," said Dr. Ernie Davis, Texas Cooperative Extension livestock marketing economist.

"But when you look at prices, you'll see they are relatively high. It may rebound better than we thought."

Posted by Jim Langcuster at January 25, 2004 12:43 PM