Mad cow meat sent to other US states and territory

United States investigators say they have found that meat cut from a holstein sick with mad cow disease was sent to four more states and one territory.

Dr Kenneth Petersen, an Agriculture Department veterinarian, said investigators had determined that some of the meat from the cow slaughtered this month went to Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana and Guam.

Earlier, officials had said most of the meat went to Washington and Oregon, with lesser amounts to California and Nevada, for distribution to consumers.

Petersen stressed, though, that the parts most likely to carry the infection - the brain, spinal cord and lower intestine - were removed before the meat from the infected cow was cut and processed for human consumption.

"The recalled meat represents essentially zero risk to consumers."