National Animal ID Not The Answer to Safer Food
National Animal Id is not going to make our food supply any safer. An animal with an electronic tag will not make it BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) free. ALL cattle should be tested for BSE. It is the only way to know 100% it is free of BSE. Ask yourself this, why is the USDA blocking Creekstone from testing for BSE if the export market wants it ( Japan ) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11978122/.  I ask you which meat would you prefer to eat, the one that came from a cow tested for BSE or one that is electronically tagged?

The cost to implement NAIS (National Animal ID System) is astronomical. It would make much more sense to test the animals and use common sense with use of vaccines for FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease), and not feed cows contaminated feeds. A little prevention would go a long way and cost much less. Making the poor tag their animals and pay for the right to own a few pigs or chickens will not do anything to protect us from disease or terrorist.

Sharon Davis,
Georgia

RE: Premises Identification Essential to Animal Health and Safety By Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff