Current Use
Today, pithing is not practiced on animals intended for the human food supply because it may lead to the spread of fragments of neural matter through the carcass, but this method is encouraged for animals in emergency or disease control situations where the meat will not be consumed. USA regulations are currently in place disallowing importation of beef from cows which have been killed in this manner, due to risk of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow") disease. The European Union has also banned the practice on animals intended for human consumption.
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