Cattle Farmers' $7 Billion Mad Cow Scare Suit Against Canada Gov't, Feed Firm On

Ottawa, Ontario (AHN) - A $7 billion lawsuit by cattle farmers against the Canadian government and a cattle feed firm for allegedly causing a mad cow disease infection has gotten the Supreme Court's go-signal to proceed.

The class action lawsuit on behalf of some 100,000 cattle farmers from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec got the clearance to proceed when the highest court of Canada rejected Thursday an appeal by the federal government and Ridley Canada of Winnipeg of the Ontario Court of Appeal's ruling last year. The appellate court rejected the defendants motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

The farmers are seeking compensation for the losses they incurred as result of an international ban on Canadian beef in 2003 triggered by Ottawa's disclosure of a mad cow disease infection in Alberta. The farmers also suffered from the ensuing culling of thousands of cattle aimed at preventing the spread of the disease that can affect humans who eat meat from infected cattle.

The suit also charged the government with allowing cattle feeds containing parts of other cattle. Cattle can acquired mad cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) by eating feeds containing parts of cattle infected with BSE.