No plans to end rule on older Canadian cattle: USDA (Reuters via Yahoo! News) The United States has no plans to permanently scrap a rule that would allow the import of older cattle from Canada after an Alberta cow was found to have contracted mad cow disease from contaminated feed, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said on Wednesday. [News Source]

Scientists create napkin to spot hazards (AP via Yahoo! News) Cornell University researchers are developing a napkin that will be able to detect bacteria, viruses and other dangerous substances with a mere swipe. [News Source]

Scientists create napkin to spot hazards (AP via Yahoo! News) Cornell University researchers are developing a napkin that will be able to detect bacteria, viruses and other dangerous substances with a mere swipe. [News Source]

Mad-cow protein is degraded by soil (AFP via Yahoo! News) The rogue prion protein that causes mad-cow disease is degraded by prolonged exposure to the soil, according to French research that may close off a path of exploration as to why cattle still fall sick with this disorder. [News Source]

Creekstone says Asian market starting to pick up slowly. Kansas beef producers say resumed trade with South Korea and Japan will help them gain back the trust of Asian meat consumers, though they don't think sales will rebound to levels seen before the two countries imposed bans over concerns about mad cow disease. [News Source]

BSE likely came from feed (Iowa Farmer) OTTAWA (AP) -- An Alberta, Canada, dairy cow that was diagnosed last month with BSE (mad-cow disease) probably contracted the disease from contaminated feed, federal regulators said. [News Source]

Things You Don?t Know, Can?t Know and Don?t Want to Know (New York Times) If you thought you were being nutritionally virtuous by stopping at Starbucks instead of McDonald?s, the Center for Science in the Public Interest says, ?Wrong!?? [News Source]

South Korea tells U.S. beef import tariffs negotiable (Reuters via Yahoo! News) South Korea will not allow rice to be part of a free trade deal with the United States but it is willing to discuss lowering tariffs on beef imports, the agriculture minister said on Wednesday. [News Source]

Kansas meatpackers say South Korea move will boost sales (KSHB-TV Kansas City) WICHITA, Kan. (AP) – Kansas beef producers are betting that Asian meat eaters are regaining confidence in U.S. beef now that South Korea and Japan have reopened their markets to the product. [News Source]