Well, well, well. What a surprise. After some extensive testing, there’s another confirmed case of mad cow disease in Canada. In Alberta, in particular.
The article, of course, is mainly focused on the economic damage to the cattle industry. Hello, what about the health threat to human beings? Perhaps we should accept that the “cattle industry” is economic damage. Not only are the animals fed “rendered” bits of other animals, a proven disease transmission vector, but they’re kept in inhumane conditions and pumped full of drugs, hormones, and other chemicals of questionable utility. Traces of many of these remain in the meat after the animal’s slaughtered, and can cause damage to humans that consume the meat.
I don’t think it’s any surprise that this happened in Alberta, either. While I’m pretty sure that food inspection laws are federal, if there’s any province whose government would try to cut corners wherever they could, it’s Alberta. I hope Canadians think about the consequences of a Conservative federal government when they go to the polls today…
My recent New Environmentalism diary generated a lot of discussion, strangely enough, on food animals. I think that might be worth continuing, as I’m now seriously contemplating finding ways to cut beef out of my diet in favour of grain-fed pork, lamb, and chicken.
So, what’s your approach to the meat you eat?
Stop Mad Cowboy Disease!! 🙂
I’m fortunate enough to have moved and live in an area with
newseasonsmarket.com
They’re organic but without the “tude”. They help you make choices… I took the kids in there and they all found it fun and there was food they’d buy. Unlike some whole foods store in Calif or places that it was so damn expensive to shop you couldn’t afford to eat.
New Seasons Market. They also sell confectionaries, fish, meat, a hot plate, deli and even an coffe clutch.
Their meat is not shot up with anti-biotics, and is fed on a vegetarian diet. Farmer co-ops and none of the meat has been “caged”.
I feel so much better about shopping for food now. I almost get teary-eyed thinking about how we used to have to eat because we simply could not afford it.
I can afford New Seasons and they have everything, make up even. So many… choices. That’s the main draw for me too. Choices. I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian.. but I do care and it’s so nice to buy food that isn’t poisoned. I’ll continue to support this trend as it’s what is going to save our planet, our children’s health and future.
I think the Red Regime tries to stop this. But that’s for another diary.
Oh and my husband even loves the store. Ever heear of a family getting excited about a damn grocery store?? LOL
Yes, there’s a grocery store around here that has a really wonderful selection of imported foods. Problem is that I have no clue how much of their meat/produce is organic. If anyone has any suggestions for organic food stores in Halifax, NS, I’d be glad to hear them.
Local grown – here at the store they label the price tags. Bright yellow price tags state that the item is grown in Oregon. I gather some of the patrons asked for this info and baddaboom baddabing it came about. White for regular organic… yellow for local organic.
Everything has a sign or tag on it telling you what ranch, co-op, what type of vegetarian feed the pigs had…
Good luck with finding a store. If I hear of anything I’ll let you know. I think we have to demand and demand again. 🙂
You also might check around for a Halal grocery store, or a Halal meat counter in the farmer’s market. In addition to rules regarding how animals are slaughtered, they must also be fed a Halal diet during their lives, which does not include their ground-up ancestors and cousins, which is how Mad Cow disease happens.
In North America, Halal farms tend to be smaller, and so the treatment of the cows is not the same as in the “regular” large farms and processing plants, not only due to religious factors, but because they are just well, smaller!
We seldom eat beef anymore, the subject of this diary being one good reason. We shop in a nearby organic food store, Mrs.Green’s. (It is actually a small chain.) We have mostly chicken, and get organic to the extent that we can.
I much prefer chicken. The problem is replacing ground meat. Ground lamb is delicious, but much more expensive. Ground chicken and turkey I’ve found to be a little flavourless in the past. Any suggestions there?
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Mon Jan 23rd, 2006 at 10:20:11 AM PST
Two years ago, Japan imposed a blanket ban on US beef imports after mad cow disease was first discovered in a US infected cow in Washington state in 2003.
Only a month after resuming beef imports from the United States, Japanese insecptor found a banned cattle part that is believed to be a risk of mad cow disease. One condition for lifting the import ban was that all Japanese risky animal parts, such as the spinal column that was found, were to be excluded from imported beef.
On the consumer health issue I added my comment from the British BSE experience ::
One condition for lifting the import ban was that all Japanese risky animal parts, such as the spinal column that was found, were to be excluded from imported beef.
Mad Cow Disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE is not fictional, the USDA requirements should not be a commercial export quideline, but a Health Risk requirement for the consumer. Are American citizens less prone to Mad Cow Disease than Japanese citizens?
Having seen the nvCJD spread through the U.K. and risk for Europe, I personally would not consume beef that wasn’t tested for BSE prions. Especially youth is susceptible to the disease, and once infected there is no cure.
● CJD cluster deaths linked to butchery
Can CJD, the fatal brain disease linkedto BSE, be passed from mother to child ?
● nvCJD Risk Through Blood Transfusions
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
I used to eat beef if it was served, but no more (not for 2 years now.)
Eating beef is a religion that cuts across any rational thought. There is no polite way to say: “I won’t eat that,” so I don’t bother being polite. Say my say and move on.
Unfortunately, due to my allergies (milk, egg, tree nut, peanut, probably shellfish), I really can’t afford to cut meat out of my diet.
If you are concerned about protein balance, beans and brown rice work well.
You don’t need to eat any of the things you mention to balance nutrician.
If you are willing to put up with the antibiotics–another subject, and another problem–you can even eat chicken. If you are adventurous, trade off with occasional fish (mercury contamination–another problem).
Going organic can help. For a price, local, uncontaminated food sources may be available–free range chickens, grass-fed cows &c. Check into it closely.
Ultimately, all you can do is piece together your odds. And you ailments: Terminal, incurable, progressive, wasting brain disease is high on my avoid-list. But no excuses: You know what you are eating.
It’s more complicated than that. One of the biggest risks for milk cross-contamination is, oddly enough, fresh produce. Even fresh organic produce. I can eat it, as the concentrations are usually fairly low, I just can’t eat too much of it, which means I can’t afford to cut meat out of my diet.
Though as an aside, if your goal is to cut cow out of your diet, be very careful where you get your veggies from. Even organic veggies are often coated in “cow stuff”, as a friend of mine out in Saskatchewan who’s actually allergic to cows discovers about once every couple of months.
Allergies are never fun.
Mainly, I am allergic to spring. That is more than enough!
I don’t eat meat anymore. Beef I’m utterly inflexible on, because of BSE. Other meats, maybe very occasionally, no more than once a month. (I’m not going to go hungry over it, but I’ll eat other stuff if I possibly can.)