Baker Commodities Mad Cow disease statement

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) --

4th U.S. CASE OF MAD COW DISEASE DETECTED AND CONTAINED IN CENTRAL VALLEY RENDERING PLANT

April 24th 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4th U.S. CASE OF MAD COW DISEASE DETECTED AND CONTAINED AT BAKER COMMODITIES' HANFORD, CA DEAD STOCK FACILITY

No Threat Posed to Public Safety. Baker Commodities Works in Conjunction with USDA to Safely Dispose of Animal

VERNON, CA, April 24, 2012 - Baker Commodities confirms that the first new case in six years of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or Mad Cow disease, in the United States has been detected in a deceased dairy cow at its dead stock facility in Hanford, CA. The cow was being tested at the time of the discovery and did not enter the food chain. It is currently under quarantine, awaiting disposal directions from the USDA.

"The USDA has a stringent testing protocol on dairy cattle that we implement in our Hanford, CA facility," said Dennis Luckey, Executive Vice President, Baker Commodities. "This case was detected last Wednesday when the dead cow in question was undergoing random USDA BSE surveillance testing. The samples were originally sent to UC Davis for testing and came back Thursday as inconclusive. At that point they were sent for further evaluation to the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. We found out today that the tests came back positive when the USDA made the announcement."

The cow poses no threat to the food chain as it has been in quarantine awaiting testing results since arriving at the rendering plant. It is being held pending directive on disposal from the USDA.

"We are confident that this cow poses no threat to humans, as it never entered the human food chain and has been meticulously and vigilantly isolated," continued Luckey. "The USDA has been to our facility and has collected information on the animal from which they can determine the dairy of origin. We will continue to work in full compliance with the USDA to ensure that public safety is maintained."

Since 1937, Baker Commodities has been one of the nation's leading providers of rendering and grease removal services. Baker Commodities is a completely sustainable company, recycling animal by-products and kitchen waste into valuable products that can be used as a base for everyday items. It services the dairy industry by collecting and safely disposing of animal mortalities.

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