bill d. the US cattle ranchers had an excellent year, not due to the Atkins diet, but the fact that the border was closed (and remains so)to Canadian beef
within minutes of Canada's announcement that it found an infected cow.
(funny that the Canadians have not done the same to US beef, at this point)

its an excellent example of how the economic impact is not accurately
assessed - because if the true economic justification for feeding recycled meat/beef products to cattle - (turning them into carnivores and cannibals) were calculated then it would include the risk of industry losses in exactly such a situation.
(just do a google search for 'economists were surprised' and youll see what I mean)

the Canadian beef industry has lost an estimated 2$billion (imagine a
rancher getting a $1.25 for a cow at the market when it would normally fetch $700) and the US market still hasnt fully opened.
(Japan insists that every Canadian cow be tested- wonder if they will do that with US beef - of the millions that are slaughtered each year only about 20,000 were tested)

even after what happened in the UK a few years with BSE, (the problem is man-made because even though sheep had scrapies for centuries- it was passed on to cattle by feeding them ground up sheep carcasses)
you would think they should ban feeding ground up meat to cattle entirely.

(the irony is also that farmers and ranchers are finding it hard to make a go of it because of the low prices, but I think a lot of people would pay more for grass fed organic beef - also increasing the value for the farmer)

DOnt expect the price of beef to drop, last summer Id go the stores
expecting to get a deal and the prices were almost the same - except the ranchers only got about 25% of the previous price. - go figure