Response to the USDA's December 23, 2003 BSE Announcement

This incidence is completely unrelated to Snake River Farms or its parent Agri Beef Co.’s cattle production system.

The customers of Snake River Farms and its parent, Agri Beef Co., can be confident that its beef products are safe. Snake River Farms/Agri Beef Co. is a vertically integrated company with cow/calf, feedlot, supplement, and packing operations. Within each segment of our company, we have implemented extensive procedures to prevent this disease from entering the food chain; thereby, ensuring the highest level of quality and safety..

Our procedures exceed the requirements established by the USDA and were established to curtail the risk of BSE within our production system.

These precautions include:

• All Snake River Farms cattle are identified and individually tracked from birth, including complete records of any illness or treatment. No processing of any downer or condemned animal is ever allowed.

• No Holstein or other Dairy breeds are allowed in the Snake River Farms production system.

• Routine audits of cattle feed yard suppliers to ensure compliance with the 1997 USDA feed ban.

• Routine audits of feed suppliers to our facilities to ensure compliance with the 1997 USDA feed ban.

• Source 100% of our feed supplement needs internally.

• Procurement policy and procedures that require written assurance from prior livestock owners to accompany all cattle purchased or placed onto our facilities.

Furthermore as a demonstration of our commitment to the highest food safety standards, Agri Beef Co. is in the process of becoming the 1st ISO/HACCP certified cattle company in the world. This combined with Agri Beef's outstanding food safety reputation and HACCP system will ensure our customers the safest most wholesome beef supply in the world.

We applaud USDA’s handling of this issue and recognize that the U.S. will continue to produce the safest supply of beef in the world.

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For additional information, please refer to these following Web sites:
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA)
BSEinfo.org (NCBA)