Guest guest Posted December 30, 2003 Report Share Posted December 30, 2003 ORGANIC BYTES #25 > Organic and Food News Tidbits with an Edge > 12/29/2003 by Organic Consumers Association > **Special Edition: Mad Cow Disease** > > Feel free to forward this informative > publication to family and friends, > place it on websites, print it, and post it. > Knowledge is power. > > ------- > > QUOTE OF THE WEEK > > Describing the Bush administration's policy on > testing cows for Mad Cow > Disease: " It is " a surveillance system, not a > food safety test...' " > > Describing the Japanese government's policy: > " Japan tests too much, it's > 'like a doctor testing every patient who comes > through the door for > prostate cancer.' " > > Dr. Ron DeHaven, Chief Veterinarian, U.S. > Department of Agriculture New > York Times. December 26, 2004 > > ------- > > TAKE ACTION: FAILURE OF THE USDA AND FDA > Mad Cow Disease has officially hit the United > States. In Japan and > Europe, every adult cow is tested for Mad Cow > Disease at > slaughter--before it enters the food chain. > U.S. testing policies are > quite a bit more relaxed. Last year, while the > E.U. tested 10 million > cattle for Mad Cow, the U.S. tested only 20,526 > cows out of 35 million > slaughtered. Since the Mad Cow Disease outbreak > in the UK, which killed > 143 people, the OCA and its allies have > pressured the USDA to create > standards that emulate those of Japan and the > EU. Yet the USDA continues > to resist. Speaking of the fact that Japan > tests ever single cow it > butchers (1.2 million/year), Dr. DeHaven, the > USDA's Chief Veterinarian, > told the New York Times that the Japanese are > doing too much testing. > > The families and loved ones of those who have > died from CJD in the U.S. > would disagree. Join millions of citizens and > sign the Mad Cow USA -- > Stop the Madness petition, demanding that the > U.S. Government adopt and > enforce: > ~ Mandatory testing for all cattle brought to > slaughter, before they > enter the food chain. > ~ Ban the feeding of blood, manure, and > slaughterhouse waste to animals. > > > Please forward this email to family and > friends! > Sign the petition here: > http://organicconsumers.org/madcow.htm > > ------- > > WHAT IT DOES TO A HUMAN > When a human contracts this fatal neurological > disease, either > spontaneously or via eating infected meat, it > is referred to as > Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). There are > roughly 300 new human cases > of CJD in the U.S. every year. The percentage > of those cases that are > caused by undetected contamination in the food > supply is unknown. Early > symptoms of the disease include escalating > neurological and muscular > symptoms, including confusion, depression, > behavioral changes and > impaired vision and coordination. As the > disease progresses, the > symptoms worsen. The disease is incurable and > always fatal. > > ------- > > MAD COW DISEASE: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT > Since the discovery of Mad Cow Disease in the > U.S. last week, the USDA > has made repeated statements that consumers > need not worry, as the > disease can only be spread to humans and other > cows via ingestion of > nervous system tissue from an infected cow, not > muscle meat. > Interestingly enough, the USDA did inspections > of meat processing > plants in 2002, and found that, due to current > killing and mechanical > meat extraction practices in U.S. > slaughterhouses, a full 35 percent of > beef is contaminated with nervous system > tissue. Studies have shown that > many processed meats, such as ground beef, > salami, bologna, hotdogs, > contain bits of the spinal column. Of course, > T-bone steaks actually > contain cow vertebrae and part of the spinal > chord, so according to the > Center for Science in the Public Interest, > these meats need to be > avoided as well, since cooking the meat does > not kill the disease. Beef > stock and beef flavoring also contain remnants > of nervous system tissue, > as they are typically made from boiling the > skeletal remains of > slaughtered animals. Boneless cuts can also be > contaminated, in that the > animal is cut in half with a chainsaw, down the > spinal column, thereby > contaminating the surrounding meat. A European > study of animals > slaughtered in this manner showed 100% > contamination of meat. In > addition recent studies show that infectious > agents do show up in the > muscle of the meat, and that Mad Cow and Mad > Cow like diseases can be > transmitted in blood. > http://organicconsumers.org/madcow/Greger122403.cfm > > ------- > > MAD COW ECONOMICS 101 > Thanks to Mad Cow Disease, the U.S. beef > industry is facing an economic > crisis. Within 24 hours of discovering Mad Cow > Disease in the U.S., more > than a dozen nations banned imports of American > beef, including the > U.S.'s biggest overseas customers Japan and > Mexico. It is likely more > nations will ban imports in the coming days. > The U.S. beef industry will > likely lose the vast majority of the $2.6 > billion worth of beef products > exported last year. > http://organicconsumers.org/madcow/export122503.cfm > > ------- > > THE POWER OF A PRION > Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, otherwise > known as Mad Cow Disease, is > caused by proteins, called prions, that fold > themselves into abnormal > shapes. Misshaped prions then cause healthy > prions to fold. Together, > they amass into clumps that kill cells and > literally leave holes in the > brain. A cow could have early forms of the > disease and still show > healthy behavior. If the cow is not tested > before slaughter, that > infected meat enters the food supply, thereby > allowing the unhealthy > prions to take hold in others. Because of their > unique structure, prions > are practically invulnerable. Prions are not > adequately destroyed by > cooking, canning, freezing, usable doses of > radiation, digestive > enzymes, or stomach acid. One study even raised > the disturbing question > of whether even incineration at temperatures > hot enough to melt lead > could guarantee the inactivation of prions. > Acknowledging their relative > invulnerability and fact that prion diseases > are always fatal, Dr. > Michael Gregor a world renowned expert on Mad > Cow Disease, says, " We > cannot risk these pathogens getting any further > into the food supply > then they may already have. We need to ban the > feeding of all > slaughterhouse waste to livestock as > recommended by the World Health > Organization back in > 1996. " > > ------- > > COW CANNIBALS > In 1997 the FDA banned certain practices of > feeding rendered bovine meat > to other cows, based on increased likelihood of > spreading diseases. Yet, > within the beef industry, it is still a common > practice to feed animals > blood, slaughterhouse wastes, and manure. On > non-organic dairies it's a > standard practice to wean calves from their > mother's milk by feeding > them bovine blood and later feeding > slaughterhouse wastes, in order to > maximize profits. The problem here is that the > disease can also be found > in the white blood cells. Adding to the > problem, unhealthy animals, > known as " Downer-Cows " , are not deemed safe for > human consumption, and > are sent off to rendering plants to make oils > and animal protein > products. A 2001 study in Germany found that > downer-cows were up to 240 > times more likely to test positive for Mad Cow > Disease. In the U.S., > only 10-15% of downer-cows are tested for the > disease. Learn more and > take action --- > http://organicconsumers.org/madcow.htm > > ------- > > HOW MANY MAD COWS ARE OUT THERE? > Mad Cow Disease can be contracted via ingestion > of contaminated meat, > but, according to current studies, it also > spontaneously occurs, on its > own, in roughly one out of a million cows. > Given the fact that the U.S. > beef industry slaughtered nearly 400 million > cows in the last ten years, > statistically speaking, that should add up to > an expected minimum of 400 > spontaneous Mad Cow cases inside U.S. borders. > Since the USDA only tests > roughly one out of every 2,000 animals, only > one case has been > discovered so far, while the others have > slipped through--- possibly > into the human food supply. Of course, that's > just counting the > spontaneous occurrences of the disease. In > addition to the spontaneous > cases, there are an unknown number of cows > infected with the disease by > other cows. This has gone undetected, as well. > The incubation period of > the disease is three to eight years, so the > detection of one animal with > the disease suggests the strong likelihood that > other cows were infected > by the same source but haven't been found yet. > A 1997 FDA memorandum > predicted that if just one case of Mad Cow > Disease was found in the U.S. > and a total ban on feeding animal protein to > animals was implemented, > it's still possible that as many as 300,000 > infected cows would be found > over the period of the disease's incubation > period (three to eight > years). In short, due to scant USDA testing, no > one knows how many > infected animals have already entered the human > food supply. > http://organicconsumers.org/madcow.htm > > ----------- > > TAKE ACTION > Join millions of citizens and sign the Mad Cow > USA -- Stop the Madness > petition, demanding that the U.S. Government > adopt and enforce: > ~ Mandatory testing for all cattle brought to > slaughter, before they > enter the food chain. > ~ Ban the feeding of blood, manure, and > slaughterhouse waste to animals. > > > Please forward this email to family and > friends! > Sign the petition here: > http://organicconsumers.org/madcow.htm > > ------- > > NOTE TO CO-OP AND NATURAL FOOD STORE > SUBSCRIBERS: Organic Bytes is a > great tool for keeping your staff and customers > up to date on the latest > issues. Feel free to forward this email to your > staff and print for > posting on bulletin boards and staff break > tables. You are also welcome > to use this material for your newsletters. > There's a super-pretty > print-friendly PDF version of this available > for free download at > http://www.organicconsumers.org/organicbytes.htm > > > > To to Organic Bytes, send an email > to: > biodemocracy-request > > with the word " " in subject. > > To to Organic Bytes, send an email > to: > biodemocracy-request > > with the word " " in subject. > > > > ORGANIC BYTES is a publication of: > > ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION > 6101 Cliff Estate Road > Little Marais, MN 55614 > Phone: (218) 226-4164 Fax: (218) 353-7652 > > > > _____________ > Biodemocracy mailing list > Biodemocracy > http://lists.organicconsumers.org/listinfo/biodemocracy . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 > THE POWER OF A PRION Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, otherwise > known as Mad Cow Disease, is caused by proteins, > called prions, that fold themselves into abnormal shapes. From what I've seen the prion hypothesis has never been proven. In fact, no scientist can actually show us a infectious-prion sample in a test-tube. Neither has anyone been able to confirm the (supposed) almost superman-like strength of prions, to resist searing heat, etc. It might be as well to blame Kryptonite for the disease! The simple truth is, we don't know what causes BSE. Only that it seems to be a disease associated with cannibalism (Human cannibal tribes have been known to suffer similar brain-wasting effects to those of cows fed on offal, and I wonder if this is why most species, including us, seem to instinctively regard cannibalism as taboo) However, the fact that we don't understand it, is in itself an even greater reason for caution. If we don't know how it's transmitted, the only safe option is to avoid eating those animals entirely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Interresting theory, but I'm not sure that it is necessary for some disease to deter people or other animals from cannibalism. From a purely evolutionary perspective, eating members of one's own species could be damaging to your own genetic fitness. Since we share more genes with other humans than any other species, by killing other people unecessarily for food one would run the risk of preventing one's own genes from being passed on. This is especially true when you consider that you can't always be sure who is related to you / by how much. It's pretty much the same reason why there's a universal taboo for incest- if you waste time procreating with people who are related to you, you're not spreading your genes. (although it varies culture to culture what is considered incest). > > The simple truth is, we don't know what causes BSE. Only that it > seems to be a disease associated with cannibalism (Human cannibal > tribes have been known to suffer similar brain-wasting effects to > those of cows fed on offal, and I wonder if this is why most species, including us, seem to instinctively regard cannibalism as taboo) > > However, the fact that we don't understand it, is in itself an even > greater reason for caution. If we don't know how it's transmitted, > the only safe option is to avoid eating those animals entirely. I concur. But some would rather die than give up their Big Macs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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