A federal appeals court judge is pondering whether the Bush administration has the authority to stop meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease.

The Bush administration made its request on Friday to the court that is considering overturning a ruling that allowed Creekstone Farms Premium Beef of Arkansas City, Kan., to test all its beef for mad cow disease

Hundreds of retailers and restaurants in southern California tied to shipments of recalled beef from the Westland-Hallmark Meat Packing Company were included in a partial list of effected outlets compiled by the California Department of Public Health.

About 143 million pounds of beef from Chino, California-based meat packing company was recalled; the largest beef recall in history. The company was cited after a videotape obtained by the Humane Society was released that showed sick cows beaten and prodded into a slaughterhouse

Canada has reported a new case of mad cow disease on Tuesday, saying it originated from a six-year-old dairy cow in Alberta. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirms this is the 12th case since 2003.

George Luterbach, a senior veterinarian with the agency, described the cow, according to Calgary Herald, as thin and weak and with deteriorating health causing it to collapse ten days ago in its farm located in Edmonton, Alberta

A meat plant in California violating rules on cattle inspection has caused the largest beef recall in U.S. History. The Department of Agriculture has ordered the recall of some 64.9 million kilograms of beef.

However, the USDA said the recall has minimal health risks as the meat as the move was a Class 2 recall, meaning the USDA was not expecting the meat could cause harm if consumed. Most of the beef were purchased mostly for school lunch and other nutrition programs

A California court has issued bench warrants for the arrest of two former slaughterhouse employees after they failed to show for their scheduled arraignment on Friday, according to reports.

Daniel Navarro, 49, of Pomona and Luis Sanchez, 32, of Chino are wanted for five felony counts animal cruelty and three misdemeanors, respectively, for maltreating cows while still employed at the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., in Chino