FRENCH HEALTH OFFICIALS FACE TRIAL FOR MAD-COW DISEASE DEATHS (Tocqueville Connection) PARIS, Feb 5, 2008 (AFP) - French health officials charged with involuntary homicide in the death of more than 100 children infected with a human variant of mad-cow disease will stand trial Wednesday, 16 years after the first victim of their alleged negligence died. [News Source]

Hard to stomach. It was upsetting enough to hear that animals had been abused by slaughterhouse employees in Chino and that beef from "downer" cattle may have crept into the food supply. Where was the U.S. Department of Agriculture? [News Source]

USDA extends meat ban at Calif slaughterhouse. Federal officials extended a ban on use of meat from a Chino slaughterhouse shut down this week for allegedly mistreating cattle, and said the facility had been previously cited for using electric prods on animals. [News Source]