Having A Cow

By the time the dairy cow in Washington state tested positive for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy last month, its meat had already entered the American food chain. In the weeks since, 30 countries have stopped importing American beef.

The USDA has banned the slaughter for food of cattle that cannot walk but it is not calling for widespread testing. Meanwhile, public scrutiny is throwing a hard light on both the disease and the industrial beef production in general.

Click the "Listen" link to see what new regulations really mean for the safety of the food supply in America.

Guests:

Michael Pollan, writer for the New York Times Magazine and author of "The Botany of Desire"

George Gray, Executive Director of Harvard Center for Risk Analysis and Co-Author of "Risk: A Practical Guide for Deciding What's Really Safe and What's Really Dangerous in the World Around You"

Mike Callicrate, owner of Callicrate Feed and Ranch Food Direct.