Is mad cow making its way into our beef? (MSNBC) "Today" food editor Phil Lempert shares his thoughts on U.S. beef regulations and what consumers can do to protect themselves. [News Source]

Animal disease lab violating air-quality rules. The National Animal Disease Center in Ames has violated state air-quality rules nearly two dozen times since April 2004 and faces a $10,000 fine for offenses that include excess emissions from incinerators. [News Source]

Food scares lead to sustained organic growth. Organic food was once the preserve of a small band of vegetarian environmentalists, but now it seems we're all jumping on the bandwagon. [News Source]

Hong Kong blocks Harris beef. Hong Kong authorities suspended beef imports from Harris Ranch Beef Co. on Tuesday after a bone fragment was found in a shipment from the California company. [News Source]

USDA urges tolerance levels for beef to Hong Kong. The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Tuesday it hoped Hong Kong would adopt tolerance levels for bone fragments in U.S. beef after a third U.S. beef plant was suspended from selling to the country. [News Source]

U.S. and Japanese officials resume talks over U.S. beef imports. Japanese and U.S. officials on Wednesday began two days of talks on a survey of the U.S. meatpacking industry, as Washington seeks a reopening of the Japanese market to U.S. beef imports. [News Source]

Some ranchers shy on first day since mad cow announcement (AG Weekly) TULIA, Texas -- West Texas rancher Kevin Crooks lost about $1 million in the year following the country's first case of mad cow 18 months ago. If he'd had cattle big enough to sell at the Tulia Livestock Auction on Monday, he wouldn't have brought a one. [News Source]