Buying local. Many Maryland consumers and growers appreciate the goal of buying locally produced farm goods, spurred by this summer’s ‘‘buy local” campaigns. [News Source]

Heineman to lead Asian trade mission. With markets in Asia beginning to reopen to American beef exports at pre-2003 BSE levels, Gov. Dave Heineman is heading there this Labor Day weekend to expand Nebraska's trade opportunities. [News Source]

YB Meats owner finds success by sticking close to home. Every time there's a food safety scare, Eric Kauffman braces for a big business day. [News Source]

CDC downplays risk of CJD from placenta injections. Centers for Disease Control officials said yesterday that it is "exceedingly unlikely" that a Taiwanese woman contracted Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, the human form of mad cow disease, after injecting herself with placenta extract. [News Source]

The CDC to make diagnosis of suspected CJD case. The Centers for Disease Control is expected to make an announcement early next month whether a suspected case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease reported in Tainan is indeed CJD, the human derivation of mad cow disease. [News Source]

Less danger in dining out? While nearly impossible to determine what percentage of food-borne illnesses is sourced to restaurants, Americans are at far more risk dining at home than at their local fast-food joint. [News Source]

Nigeria: International spread of disease threatens health and economies. More than at any previous time in history, global public health security depends on international cooperation and the willingness of all countries to act effectively in tackling new and emerging threats. [News Source]

U.S. Cattlemen Lose Mad Cow Bid to Keep Canadian Animals Out (Environment News Service) SAN FRANCISCO, California , August 29, 2007 (ENS) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, was correct in deciding that Canada is a country of "minimal risk" when it comes to mad cow disease, the The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. [News Source]

Protein blocking reverses ‘mad cow disease’ in mice (New Scientist) A new treatment rescues the brain function of mice with prion disease, but any attempt to adapt the approach to humans with vCJD will take many years [News Source]

Filter removes mad cow proteins from blood (New Scientist) Tests suggest the new device could prevent transmission of deadly prion disease via blood transfusions [News Source]