03/03/05 Beef talk, plus injunction granted

They have talked cattle, Canada, Japan, and U.S. beef trade in both the testimony room, and the court room this week. The House Ag Committee got in the middle of the debate over reopening the border to Canadian live cattle thirty months and younger, as well as beef from such cattle. But while the hearing was on the Canadian final rule, discussion about getting Japan and other trade partners to reopen their borders to U.S. beef in concert with our reacceptance of Canadian product became just as prominent. Those thoughts were shared and agreed upon by U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns, House Ag Chair Bob Goodlatte, and representatives of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. The lone voice that the U.S. should delay the final rule was Chuck Kiker, representing R-C.A.L.F. U.S.A.. That group was in the courtroom yesterday arguing their case for an injunction to halt Monday's reopening of the border to designated Canadian live cattle and beef. And they were successful in getting the judge to grant the injunction. Not only does that put a temporary halt to Canadian beef and live cattle coming in, but it refers the matter to a federal court for further consideration. Meanwhile, Japanese officials are telling U.S. counterparts to be patient as it works through a slow regulatory process in route to reopening its border to U.S. beef banned since December 2003. This comes as some U.S. lawmakers are calling for retaliatory measures if Japan does not allow our beef back in soon. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. ALLEN: Media constantly gets a bad rap for deceiving the public especially when it comes to heath and food issues. While I am the first one to point out sensationalized stories, I also believe that the public needs to be taken to task for their gullibility. Having raised three mini men, two now at the university level and one entering his senior year of high school, I am appalled at the lack of applicable knowledge they received from school in science, history and current affairs. Rutgers University surveyed 1200 Americans about genetically modified food. 43 percent thought a tomato did not have genes while a genetically modified tomato did. A third actually believed that their own genes would change if they ate genetically modified food. In 1997 Nathan Zohner then a Jr. high student proved the "dumbing down " theory of American youth, when 86 percent of the students he surveyed thought di-hydrogen monoxide should be banned after learning that exposure to it's solid form caused tissue damage, and contact with it as a gas caused burns. Only one student identified it correctly as water? I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought.