Food Safety - Less Animal Meat, Milk & Eggs is Better - None is Best...

The Senate approved the Food Safety Modernization Act.  But the bill would not apply to meat, poultry or processed eggs, which are regulated by the Agriculture Department.

Many people like to cite the problems with peanuts, spinach and produce... Most contaminated by the unprecedented growth in factory farms and "overspraying" of manure.  Let's remember that  Campylobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli O157:H7 are three of the main causes of food related illness and all are related to animals.  Here's a quick reality check regarding animal and "meat" products:

76 million cases of foodborne illness in the US every year are caused by "bugs" are from "farmed" animal pathogens.


So how well is the USDA doing in regulating food safety?  Better yet... How wise are the choices that people are making regarding their health?

We can thrive on a plant based diet.  The more you remove animals from your plate the better.  "None" is best... And certainly the most compassionate option.

Dairy Cow Teat Dip - Great for Pools and Spas!

Stonyfield Farm "Organic" is recalling their 32 ounce plain yogurt product because it may contain food grade sanitizers. And even though I don't eat things made from cow's milk, I got curious about what a "food grade sanitizer" is and what it is used for. Here's what I found: Food grade sanitizers are used by the dairy industry as teat dips. These are germicidal solutions which helps reduce the rate of mammary infections caused by staph and strep pathogens. Because bacteria from cow feces enters the teat canals, it's a breeding ground for these pathogens which cause mastitis. Mastits or mammary infections, cause high levels of somatic cells in the milk. Somatic cells by the way, (if you're still eating dairy products), are leukocytes, AKA: "pus". (sorry)... And thanks to a powerful dairy lobby, if you're in the U.S., you might want to know that the amount of cells the USDA permits in milk is almost twice as much as the European Union will allow. In an effort to minimize somatic cells, dairy cow's udders are treated with this food grade sanitizer solution either as a pre-milking dip, a post-milking dip or both. This teat dip treatment is usually sprayed on before the machine milk cups are placed on the animal. Of course residue remains on the animal's body and contaminates the milk, as in the case of the Stonyfield Farm Organic Yogurt . So what exactly is in this food grade sanitizing teat dip?

• iodophor (iodine)
• detergents (soap)
• Chlorine (an oxidant disinfectant)
• Acidified Sodium Chlorite (an antimicrobial)
• Sodium hypochlorite (laundry bleach)
• Chlorhexidine (a chemical antiseptic)
• Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid (a pesticide)
• Alpha hydroxy acids (a skin exfoilater)
• Nisin (a preservative)
• Glycerol Monolaurate (an antimicrobial)
• Quaternary Ammonium (another microbicidal)

Any combination of these ingredients are found in food grade sanitizers... in teat dips. You know... these chemicals bear a close similarity to the stuff we treat the algae in our pool with. I think rather than using the Green-Out Powder, next time I just might try milk or a "food grade sanitizer" instead. And all kidding aside, dairy cows live awful lives, and an adult drinking secretions from another species is also a horrrible idea. Won't you consider going Vegan instead?

HOMELAND SECURITY BIO DEFENSE MEAT ANIMAL LIVESTOCK LAB

Homeland Security Wants to Build Bio-Defense Lab in Kansas. This facility, once built, will continue to experiment, drug, examine, breed and kill thousands of animals to find ways to keep them healthy so that we can slaughter them for "food".

This proposed new defense lab will protect the livestock industry against the introduction of foreign animal and zoonotic diseases. Testing on animals for Foot and Mouth Disease, hog cholera, African Swine Fever, Rift Valley Fever, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, and other assorted viruses that effect livestock.

Ouch! from what I read those diseases really cause immense pain and suffering... And sadly, the animals are killed in the end - anyway.

30,000 different tests on "livestock" animals have been taking place at the current animal disease center off the coast of Long Island - a facility in operation since the 50's. The 840 acre Plum Island experimental lab's official statement is: "We work to protect farm animals, farmers and ranchers, the nation's farm economy and export markets... and your food supply."

Not hardly, I don't consider animals "food"....

In 1991, Plum Island's freezers (which contained polio samples), were threatened following a power outage. It's only been open to news media since 1992. And in 1995, the Department of Agriculture was issued a $111,000 fine for improperly storing hazardous chemicals on the island.

And the Department of Agriculture is responsible to pay whom for this violation?

In 2002 many scientists and government officials wanted the lab to close because the center did not merit its $16.5 million annual budget. Later that year the Disease Center was transferred from the United States Department of Agriculture to the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Of course there will be tests on anthrax as livestock are exposed to this threat daily from the spores on the vegetation they ingest.

Congressional law stipulates that live foot-and-mouth disease cannot be studied on the mainland as it is extremely contagious among cloven-hoofed animals, and people who have come in contact with it can carry it to other animals. Accidental outbreaks of the virus have occurred in 1978 in which the disease was released to animals outside the center, and two incidents in 2004 in which foot and mouth disease was released within the center.

Human animals can be infected with a strain of this disease - causing illness with headache, fever and possibly blisters appearing on the hands or feet, or in the mouth.

Aptly named: Hand Foot Mouth Disease...

Dr. Michael Carroll in his book Lab 257, alleges a connection between Plum Island Animal Disease Center the outbreaks of three infectious diseases: West Nile Virus, Lyme Disease, and Dutch duck plague. Two years ago, Plum Island scientists analyzed horses that were dying on Long Island and found the West Nile virus that mysteriously turned up in mosquitoes in the New York area.

Hummm... Unfortunately, Plumb Island operates at only Biosafety Level 3 and Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-9 mandates a facility capable of level 4 biosafety capabilities. The proposed National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) would research biological threats involving zoonotic, "high-consequence" livestock diseases. There will also be a National Veterinary Stockpile containing sufficient amounts of animal vaccine, antiviral, and therapeutic products to appropriately respond to the most damaging animal diseases affecting human health and the economy. This new disease center will protect the nation's food supply, insuring that livestock owners investments are protected.

With a $650 million price tag to American tax payers I have to ask why are we footing the bill to protect the interests of cow ranchers and pig farmers? I run a business too, no one "secures" my interests with tax dollars. And my business doesn't even risk exposing anyone to deadly zootonic disease. Nor does it perform painful needless tests and cause injury to innocent animals... What about the taxpayers, who don't consider "animals food" - And who thrive on a plant based Vegan diet?

Oh not to worry, this new facility will also include A National Plant Disease Recovery System. It will be studying wheat smut and soybean rust... Which by the way, are a main "feed" staple... for livestock.

source:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040203-2.html

http://www.dhs.gov/xres/labs/editorial_0762.shtm

http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=19400000

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2008/2008-12-26-092.asp http://cattletoday.info/anthrax.htm

FDA Deceives Consumers about Melamine Infant Formula

The Freedom of Information Act allowed the Associated Press to disclose an attempted FDA cover-up about Melamine contamination in infant formula. The FDA is now under suspicion yet again failing to act to protect consumers. It is shameful that they are putting babies at risk in favor of protecting corporate interests (again). The FDA has failed repeatedly in it's duties and has betrayed the trust of the people to whom it should serve. This Melamine issue goes beyond mere "err" or "oversight" because of it's will full agenda to silence and hide it's findings. And considering the vast health implications to infants as seen in China's recent Melamine laced formula, hiding such information in exchange for business and profits is despicable. One should question what other lies, cover-ups and untruths have the trusting American populace been hoodwinked into believing in the past? FDA Draws Fire Over Chemicals In Baby Formula - washingtonpost.com:

"The FDA collected 87 samples of infant formula made by American manufacturers, tested all but 10 of them and held a conference call Monday with manufacturers to alert them to the preliminary findings, FDA spokeswoman Judy Leon said. She said she did not know when the agency was planning to inform the public.

Leon said that the amounts discovered are safe and that parents should continue to feed formula to their children. "We know that trace levels do not pose a risk whatsoever," she said. That contradicts the agency's recent statements about melamine, including a position paper that was on its Web site yesterday that asserted there are no safe levels of melamine for infants. "FDA is currently unable to establish any level of melamine and melamine-related compounds in infant formula that does not raise public health concerns," the document said. Agency scientists have maintained they could not set a safe level of melamine exposure for babies because they do not understand the effects of long-term exposure on a baby's developing kidneys. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that infant formula is a baby's sole source of food for many months. Premature infants absorb an especially large dose of the chemical, compared with full-term babies. "Just one month ago, the FDA had been very clear about how they could not set a safe level of melamine in formula for babies," said Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization. "Now they're saying trace levels are no problem. What changed?"