Disparate Federal Rules in Spotlight (Washington Post) Although the Agriculture Department prohibits the use of beef from "downer" cattle in federally funded school lunches, the agency sometimes allows the meat in the general food supply, a disparity that critics say undercuts officials' contention that there is no food safety reason to ban meat from... [News Source]

Japan cracks down on beef smugglers (UPI) Hundreds of pounds of beef have been seized at Japanese airports in a crackdown on travelers trying to evade a Chinese ban on beef imports from Japan. [News Source]

A Case of Abuse, Heightened (NYTimes.com via Yahoo! Finance) A condemning video is delayed, then leaked to the media, and an animal rights activist makes the most of the spotlight. [News Source]

A case of abuse, heightened. It was a week ago Thursday, and Mr. Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, was testifying before the Senate appropriations subcommittee on agriculture. [News Source]

Experts urge system to track cows from birth to beef. A code printed on the side of a box is the key to birth dates, birthplaces and health records -- the details of a life once led by a cow that became a side of beef, a hamburger or a steak. [News Source]