ban so hopefully it would never be transmitted. We know from England the feed ban works - as long as there's compliance," Novakofski said. 
     State Sen. Peter Roskam, a Wheaton Republican, has proposed legislation to step up the Illinois Department of Agriculture's inspection schedule. Currently, inspectors audit feed mills every two years. Roskam wants it changed to every 90 days. 
     He said Illinois should do "everything conceivable" to make sure mad cow never surfaces here. Roskam, an attorney, said he was motivated by his love of ribeyes. 
     Foot-and-mouth (news - web sites) disease, on the other hand, seldom spreads from animals to humans, although a human form exists. 
     "One of the points people miss about foot and mouth, is that it is not a fatal disease (for animals or humans)," Novakofski said. "Typically it makes (animals) unproductive. They don't eat. They get lesions on the mouth. It takes a lot of care to get them back." 
     It is often more efficient to kill infected animals than heal them. 
     "The reason they kill all the animals is it's very contagious. It's almost like a forest fire," Novakofski said. "If it spreads, it's going to cause an economic disaster." 
     McDonald's executives blamed the European food problems for lower profits recently. The company's media relations department did not return calls. 
     And there may be fewer ribs at Taste of Chicago this summer because rib prices have skyrocketed since the European foot-and-mouth disease scare prompted the U.S. ban on hog imports. Baby back ribs are selling for $6 a pound compared with $2.60 last year. 
     While mad cow and foot-and-mouth capture headlines, other food illness like E. coli and salmonella remain a much more likely threat. Just last month a Canadian meat processor recalled 204,000 pounds of ground beef because of possible E. coli contamination. The beef was being distributed in the United States, including Illinois. 
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