US Department of Agriculture does not want your beef tested for Mad Cow Disease

A Kansas meatpacker sued the government on Thursday for refusing to let the company test for mad cow disease in every animal it slaughters.

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef says it has Japanese customers who want comprehensive testing. The Agriculture Department threatened criminal prosecution if Creekstone did the tests, according to the company's lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington.

Testing for mad cow disease in the United States is controlled by the department, which tests about 1 percent of the 35 million cattle, or about 350,000, that are slaughtered each year. The department is planning to reduce that level of testing.

Department officials say they oppose 100 percent testing because it does not ensure food safety.

It would cost about $20 per animal to do the tests, adding about 10 cents per pound to the cost of meat, according to Creekstone Farms Premium Beef chief executive John Stewart .