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First “mad cow” lawsuit hits feed provider


April 7, 2005   by Canadian Underwriter


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The first in what is expected to be a series of class action lawsuits has been filed against a feed provider, with the Canadian government also named as a defendant, stemming from mad cow disease.
Animal nutrition company Ridley Inc., based in Winnipeg and Minnesota, says its has learned that a Quebec farmer has filed lawsuit in that province, hoping to be certified as a class action on behalf of all Quebec farmers whose livelihoods have been impacted by the U.S. ban on Canadian beef. The U.S. closed its borders to Canadian beef following discovery in May, 2003 of a single cow from Alberta affected with BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), commonly known as “mad cow” disease.
Ridley says the Quebec farmer is claiming damages of $100,000 resulting from the border closure, and alleging the feed company should have discontinued using “ruminant meat and bone meal” in its cattle feed even prior to the enactment of regulations banning this practice in 1997. The complaint alleges Ridley was a possible supplier of feed to the affected cow early in its life, prior to the 1997 ban.
In response to the lawsuit, Ridley CEO Steve Van Roekel says the company “has at all times been in full compliance with regulations relevant to the May 2003 BSE case”. It adds that a government investigation of the May 2003 BSE case found no wrongdoing on the part of Ridley.
Ridley says it expects other similar lawsuits to be filed against the company, as well as the federal government in the Quebec case, this means the Ministry of Agriculture and Solicitor General.


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