Tainted meat

[GostHacked]

Thanks for the link, but frankly it is one-sided and full of fear-mongering lies. It makes me wonder what its motives are.

For example, the site claims that hormone treatment of dairy cows is dangerous, as if it were a well-established fact without balancing with opposing viewpoints, such as:

"After careful review, the Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization, American Medical Association, American Dietetics Association, and the National Institute of Health have independently confirmed that dairy products and meat from BST treated cows is safe for human consumption."

https://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/factsheet/FN-250_6.pdf

rGBH was the hormone banned in Canada because it caused the cows health issues and the milk produced contained contaminates like puss and other materials.

Now through something Montanso produces called Milk2006 which is hormones of another kind geneticaly modified right into the livestock feed, termed 'Silage Ready'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_somatotropin

rBST has not been allowed on the market in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel and all European Union countries (currently numbering 27), by 2000 or earlier.

How is that for balance? Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and ALL EU countries have banned this product.

The Doctor on the View was: http://www.morrisonhealth.com/. His motives are clear. I am sceptical on the proclaimed dangers of wheat/gluten:

Anyways, there are surely valid health concerns regarding our diet but there are plenty of groups spreading mis-information. I have decided save my trust for sources that are objective and scientific. For now, I have no concerns with farmed fish, GMOs, gluten, "factory" meat, dairy, "non-organic" produce, or even BPA in plastic bottles. I see no evidence of these things harming me. I will focus more on avoiding the proven dangers: smoking, lack of exercise, stress, lack of sleep, excessive alcohol, drugs, excessive fat/cholesterol, excessive salt, and excessive sugar. IMO, we spend too much time worrying about the possibly minuscule risks and not enough on the proven significant risks.

The rBGH was by far no miniscule issue considering it's banned in about 20 countries.

[Topaz]

Just to let you know...

Neither The View nor Dr. Oz should be considered serious journalism, as both shows have shown a willingness to broadcast complete nonsense on their shows.

For example, The View regularly has psychics as guests (e.g. John Edwards, the Psychic twins). Any show which will allow cold readers to show up on their show unchallenged doesn't deserve consideration.

Dr. Oz is not any better, as he has promoted such nonsense as homeopathy and faith healing. (See: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/04/27/calling-dr-oz-defend-alt-med-on-skeptics-guide/)

Have you ever watched the Dr OZ show?? They check everything that they bring to air and if there's any doubt he says so. They also bring on people in this field like Dr. Weil from Arizona, do you know who he is?

[segnosaur]

Have you ever watched the Dr OZ show??

Nope.

First of all, I work during the day.

Secondly, I have heard enough from reputable stories to recognize that he's pushing quack medicine.

He's a multi-time winner of the Pigasus award for goodness sake!!

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2011/04/01/just-in-time-for-april-fools-daydr-oz-an/

They check everything that they bring to air and if there's any doubt he says so.

Errr.... no they don't. Or if they did, they certainly don't care.

If he really "checked everything", then he would not have any homeopath, psychic or other scam artist on his show, because those things just don't work. And giving any credence to such scam artists destroys your reputation.

Put it this way, would you pay any attention to a show on investing if they gave equal footing to Warren Buffet and Bernie Madoff?

They also bring on people in this field like Dr. Weil from Arizona, do you know who he is?

You aren't really helping your case here.

Weil seems to have a reputation for pushing Quack medicine.

For example, he was selling some fake medicine that was supposed to cure H1N1 flu, even though there was absolutely no evidence that it did. (See: http://www.fda.gov/iceci/enforcementactions/warningletters/ucm186837.htm)

Then of course there was the time he was touting Fish oil supplements even though the Journal of the American Medical association claimed that they had no benefit. (See: http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/press/200606191.html)

[Guest]

What you are doing is giving an anecdote. Sadly, such anecdotes cannot be considered evidence.

We've probably also known people who've smoked like a chimney, yet lived to be quite elderly. But that doesn't mean smoking is safe.

No I wasn't. I was kidding. Not about eating raw milk cheese, that's delicious. About being healthy in spite of eating organic food.

I actually think I'm healthier because I eat it.

As for that being anecdotal, when the University of Alberta comes by to do a study on me, I'll see you get first crack at the results.

[Topaz]

The following article talks about the myths of tainted meat but one reason why meat can be tainted is that the animal standing in manure and having it on itself when it goes to slaughter. I saw a documentary of Canada's meat industry and out in Alberta while waiting for slaughter, the cattle was knee deep in manure, so is there any wonder more people haven't gotten sick? I even I agree that tainted meat can come from any abattoir or butcher, in all my many years of buying meat, I've never heard of anyone being sick in our area from tainted meat. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/fact-check-what-you-might-not-know-about-e-coli-1.986225

[GostHacked]

The following article talks about the myths of tainted meat but one reason why meat can be tainted is that the animal standing in manure and having it on itself when it goes to slaughter. I saw a documentary of Canada's meat industry and out in Alberta while waiting for slaughter, the cattle was knee deep in manure, so is there any wonder more people haven't gotten sick? I even I agree that tainted meat can come from any abattoir or butcher, in all my many years of buying meat, I've never heard of anyone being sick in our area from tainted meat. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/fact-check-what-you-might-not-know-about-e-coli-1.986225

Also, you never if ever, hear about this stuff from a small independent farmer/butcher.

[wyly]

as long as the meat is well cooked I think we're safe...

but then I was just at costco we asked the butcher where the ground beef was supplied from and he said some was from XL we decided not to buy today...

[Topaz]

as long as the meat is well cooked I think we're safe...

but then I was just at costco we asked the butcher where the ground beef was supplied from and he said some was from XL we decided not to buy today...

I wouldn't chance it, take it back and get your money back.

[Topaz]

Also, you never if ever, hear about this stuff from a small independent farmer/butcher.

No, not in my area. I know there's been in others, just lucky I guess.

[Topaz]

Five more cases of E.Coli in Canada and the US is finding more there too. I think this plant should be closed down for ever or have someone else run it and the minister should resign, he can't so his job and he also stood up in Parliament and said no one had gotten sick!! Are we paying him just to stand up in Parliament and give lies and smart mouths answers. He shouldn't get his pension either! http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/5-e-coli-cases-linked-beef-recall-004730368.html

Edited October 8, 2012 by Topaz

[GostHacked]

The recall is expanding.. Three times the amount

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/08/xl-foods-beef-recall.html

The U.S. Food Safety Inspection Service has almost tripled its estimate of the amount of recalled beef that was imported from the XL Foods Inc. plant in Brooks, Alberta.

An estimated 1,134,000 kilograms of beef from the recall list that could potentially be contaminated with E. coli entered the U.S., the agency said in a revised statement.

A previous estimate, released Sept. 28, said almost 404,000 kilograms of the affected beef had entered the U.S.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, meanwhile, added yet more items to its long list of beef products that have been pulled from store shelves across Canada.

The latest additions on Sunday affect raw beef and ready-to-eat products sold in B.C. under the Africa Trading and HanAhReum Mart brands, or sold at Urban Fare.

[PIK]

Just to let you know, organic produce may also contain pesticides as per their list of [arbitrarily] allowed substances. In some cases these pesticides are worse than "non-organic" pesticides. I am convinced that organic produce is as safe as non-organic. "Organic" is a waste but as you said there is so much other waste probably not a big deal.

And if thier neighbours are spraying then it is not to organic.

[PIK]

Five more cases of E.Coli in Canada and the US is finding more there too. I think this plant should be closed down for ever or have someone else run it and the minister should resign, he can't so his job and he also stood up in Parliament and said no one had gotten sick!! Are we paying him just to stand up in Parliament and give lies and smart mouths answers. He shouldn't get his pension either! http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/5-e-coli-cases-linked-beef-recall-004730368.html

Now it seems the minister did everything he could with the info given to him, now we hear it might be those great union workers not doing thier jobs. Many inspectors have been added, but if the worker does not do the proper cleaning, there is nothing the goverment can do. But what we need to do is follow the americans on this and make the number at 5% to call a shut dowm. And should this fall under ritz and I understand the libs chnaged the rules to have the argriculture dept handle it.

[cybercoma]

The government most certainly did not do everything they could and blaming the union is just ridiculous.

[Topaz]

Today, Ritz stood up and said that yes 15 people have been sick but they have recovered and are getting on with their lives but the 6 year old girl will always have problems with her kidneys. So even though the minister want this to blow over, the opposition parties will stay on him. Last time 22 died, this time 15 got sick, how many next time??

[GostHacked]

They are also going to resume limited operations at this XL Foods plant. Not sure if that is a wise decision, the investigation is not even really done yet.

[The_Squid]

I eat local meat from sustainable small local farms.

The government's handling of this has been atrocious. Ritz is more concerned with the plant and how this might affect the beef industry than the health of consumers and actually cleaning up the problem. Did anyone feed him some bbq steak?

The USA FDA was the agency to discover the tainted meat. CFIA didn't let the public know until 2 weeks later! Other problems, including concern from American authorities about how bad Canadian meat inspection is, can be found in the linked article.

“The company was unable to demonstrate that it regularly reviewed or made necessary updates to its control plan.”

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz was unavailable to comment Monday, but his press spokesman defended the agency’s oversight of XL Foods and the speed with which it has responded to the food scare.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Tainted+beef+alert+delayed+weeks/7293107/story.html#ixzz29OmuxIKy