Korea Kulls Cloven-Hooved Livestock / F&M Disease

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE, BOVINE - SOUTH KOREA (06): (GYEONGGI-DO),
SIXTH OUTBREAK
********************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Sat 30 Jan 2010
Source: YONHAP via MCOT.NET [edited]



Gov't confirms 6th outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease
-----------------------------------------------------
The government said Saturday [30 Jan 2010] it has confirmed the
country's 6th outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] this year at a
dairy cattle farm in Pocheon north of Seoul. The farm, located 3.8 km
[2.3 miles] away from where the 1st outbreak was confirmed on 7 Jan
2010, reported blisters on some of its animals on Friday, the
agriculture ministry said.

On-site quarantine officials had ordered the culling of all 81 head
of milk cows on the farm as a preventive measure while cloven-hoofed
livestock within a 500 meter radius of the outbreak are being
slaughtered and buried to contain the spread of the highly contagious disease.

The latest case is the 5th FMD cased confirmed in the Pocheon region,
located about 45km [28 miles] from Seoul. One other case was
confirmed in nearby Yeoncheon, 62 km [38.5 miles] north of Seoul. It
is also the 1st outbreak to be reported in the country since 18 Jan 2010.

The animal disease affects all cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle,
hogs, goats and deers causing blisters on the feet and mouths of
livestock and sometimes leading to death. It can be spread via air,
feed and imported farm products that have not been sterilized.
Humans, though not affected by the disease, can be [mechanical] carriers.

South Korea was hit twice before by the FMD disease in 2000 and 2002.
Losses from the 2000 outbreak centered on cattle and reached 300.6
billion won (USD 259.8 million), while the 2002 outbreak cost 143.4
billion won as the disease spread through pigs. The government
declined to give the exact size of damages incurred in the latest
outbreak, although over 3500 cows, pigs, goats, deers have been culled so far.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[Korea's official reports to the OIE on the 1st 5 outbreaks,
including a map, can be found at
.
- Mod.AS]

[see also:
Foot & mouth disease, bovine - South Korea (05): (KG) 20100119.0213
Foot & mouth disease, bovine - South Korea (04): (KG) 20100116.0188
Foot & mouth disease, bovine - China: (XJ) OIE, serotype A, RFI 20100115.0187
Foot & mouth disease, bovine - South Korea (03): (KG) 20100114.0161
Foot & mouth disease, bovine - South Korea (02): serotype A 20100111.0130
Foot & mouth disease - worldwide: 2009, update 20100109.0099
Foot & mouth disease, bovine - South Korea: (KG), OIE 20100108.0089]
....................arn/ejp/dk

*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Become a ProMED-mail Premium Subscriber at

************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at .
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
############################################################

Public Health Alert: Drug Resistant TB

TUBERCULOSIS, DRUG RESISTANCE - MARSHALL ISLANDS: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
*************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Sat 30 Jan 2010
Source: Top News [edited]



A public health emergency has been declared in Marshall Islands. This
has happened following an outbreak of drug-resistant tuberculosis
(TB). The government is thinking of calling upon special powers of quarantine.

In less than 2 months the number of people with the drug-resistant
disease has risen from 6 to 10 in the western Pacific nation.
Everyone now fears that the situation would escalate and will reach
to 500. Majuro Hospital chief of staff Marie Lanwi-Paul, said, "We
are in the process of doubling the bed capacity" in the TB isolation unit."

Rachel Powel who is working with the World Health Organisation said,
"Drug resistance poses a serious threat to our ability to treat and
control TB." Marshall Islands Health Minister Amenta Matthew said she
was in the process of forming legislation that would give power to
the director of health to quarantine people who were not complying
with TB prevention requirements. Matthew felt that the drug-resistant
TB evolved because of people not following advice of taking medicines
despite physicians counseling them. It was reported that one patient
was taken to the court by health authorities for failing to take
treatment and remain in isolation.

[Byline: Anjali Singh]

--
Communicated by:
M. Randolph Kruger


[It is stated in the news release that the outbreak of drug resistant
TB in the Marshall Islands is secondary to improper management of the
TB cases, i.e., the TB drugs were not taken by patients as
recommended by the physicians. However, the exact drugs to which the
_Mycobacterium tuberculosis_ isolates are resistant and the extent of
the drug resistance is not specified in the above news release. Also
it is not specified if there is any epidemiological linkage among the
patients, if the isolates have similar drug resistance patterns, or
if they have been genotyped. Detailed discussions of drug-resistant
TB can be found in prior ProMED posts below.

The Marshall Islands is an island nation with a population of about
62 000 in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the
International Date Line and just north of the Equator
(). From 1946 to 1958,
the USA tested 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands.
Independence was completed in 1990, when the UN officially ended its
Trusteeship status. In 1986, the Compact of Free Association with the
USA provides for aid and USA defense of the islands in exchange for
continued USA military use of a missile testing range
(). The location of the
Marshall Islands in relation to other countries in the South Pacific
can be found on a map at
. - Mod.ML]

[see also:
2009
----
Tuberculosis, XXDR - USA: FL ex Peru 20091230.4387
Tuberculosis, MDR - China 20090114.0151
2008
---
Tuberculosis, XDR - Austria ex Romania 20080803.2373
Tuberculosis, MDR, XDR - Peru 20080412.1337
Tuberculosis, XDR - Namibia 20080403.1231
Tuberculosis, XDR - UK (Scotland) ex Somalia 20080322.1094
Tuberculosis, MDR, XDR - Worldwide: WHO 20080228.0813
Tuberculosis, MDR - South Africa 20080208.0521
Tuberculosis, MDR - Papua New Guinea 20080206.0478
Tuberculosis, XDR - Botswana, South Africa 20080118.0222
2007
----
Tuberculosis, XDR, MDR: genome sequences 20071122.3780
Tuberculosis - Uganda (02): MDR, susp. RFI 20071004.3284
Tuberculosis - Uganda: deadly strain, RFI 20071002.3255
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (11): fugitives 20071002.3251
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (10): Western Cape 20070627.2071
Tuberculosis, XDR - worldwide (02) 20070623.2034
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (09): Western Cape 20070604.1805
Tuberculosis, XDR, airplane exposure - multicountry (03) 20070601.1778
Tuberculosis, XDR, airplane exposure - multicountry (USA, France,
Canada, Czech Rep.) 20070529.1738
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (08): Western Cape 20070425.1349
Tuberculosis, XDR, 2003-2006 - Europe (Germany, Italy) 20070403.1132
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (07): Eastern Cape 20070326.1044
Tuberculosis, XDR, 1993-2006 - USA 20070322.1005
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (06) 20070319.0959
Tuberculosis, XDR, 1991-2003 - Spain 20070302.0738
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (05) 20070228.0717
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (04) 20070220.0638
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (03) 20070209.0504
Tuberculosis, XDR - worldwide 20070205.0456
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa (02) 20070128.0375
Tuberculosis, XDR - South Africa: interventions 20070126.0349]
............................................ml/ejp/dk

*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Become a ProMED-mail Premium Subscriber at

************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at .
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
############################################################

Death Linked to Avian Flu / Indonesia

AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN (08): INDONESIA (SOUTH JAKARTA), SUSPECTED
*****************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Sun 31 Jan 2010
Source: Bird Flu Information Corner [edited]



Suspected human case of avian influenza (H5N1) virus infection in South Jakarta
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Livestock and Fishery Sub-service of South Jakarta stopped about 17
[of] 26 units trucks [transporting] chicken meat from outside
Jakarta. These 17 chicken meat trucks could not show animal health
certificates.

This action, Healthy Chicken Transport Operation (Operasi
Transportasi Ayam Sehat/OTAS), was carried out at Jl. Raya Kebayoran
Lama and Jl. Ciledug Raya. In particular in the case of Kebayoran
Lama, the trucks were carrying chicken carcass to be delivered to
traditional markets, said Chaidir Taufik an official of Livvestock
and Fishery Service of South Jakarta. The number of bird carcasses
loaded in those 26 trucks [amounted to] about 19 180 chickens and 800
ducks, [despatched] from Subang, Bogor, Serpong and Sukabumi. The
OTAS action was [undertaken] to [prevent] bird flu outbreaks in
Jakarta, in particular South Jakarta.

Chaidir also mentioned, the OTAS action was [connected with] the
death of a suspected bird flu [avian influenza (H5N1)] patient. The
victim, a resident of Jl. Pengadegan Barat V, died on 26 Jan 2010 in
Pasar Rebo hospital. It was reported that the victim had brought 4
chickens from Cibitung Tangerang [in the previous] month. One chicken
was slaughtered and then victim developed sickness in the following
days. The victim was then treated and tested positive for bird flu
[avian influenza (H5N1) virus] infection. The remaining three
chickens were sent back to Cibitung.

(The source of this report is the Indonesia local newspaper -- Pos
Kota, 29 Jan 2010
.)

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[Reports of human cases of avian influenza (H5N1) virus infection
published in the local media in Indonesia are rarely if ever
confirmed. According to the the WHO Table of human cases of avian
influenza (H5N1) virus infection, updated to 28 Jan 2010, no cases
have been confirmed during 2010, and only 20 throughout 2009 (see:
).
Official confirmation of the 2010 South Jakarta case is awaited.

A map of Java showing the location of Jakarta can be accessed at:
. The
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Indonesia can be accessed at:
. - Mod.CP]

[see also:
Avian influenza, human (02): Indonesia (RI) 20100112.0145
2009
----
Avian influenza, human (103): Indonesia, S. Jakarta, susp. 20090621.2279]
..................cp/ejp/dk

*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Become a ProMED-mail Premium Subscriber at

************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at .
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
##########################################################

Swine Flu Found in Turkeys

INFLUENZA PANDEMIC (H1N1), ANIMAL (04): GLOBAL, UPDATE
******************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


Date: Fri 29 Jan 2010
Source: USAgNet via wisconsinagconnection.com [edited]



France Confirms H1N1 Flu Outbreak in Turkeys
--------------------------------------------
Turkeys in a farm for Turkey Breeder Hens in
northwestern France were infected with the H1N1
flu virus, authorities in Cote d'Armor department
announced Thursday [28 Jan 2010]. Laboratory
tests have confirmed the virus in turkeys on the
farm, and the infected turkeys have been
quarantined, authorities said in a statement.

If no further spread of the virus was spotted,
the quarantine would be lifted in 7 days, and
there was no need for massive slaughter, the
statement said, citing relevant guidelines issued
by the European Union and the World Health
Organization in case of animal H1N1 flu infection.

Local health officials warned people with flu
symptoms against close contact with any animals.
The virus has been found in animals including
pigs, turkeys, cats, ferrets and dogs in a dozen
of countries [For the actual number of countries,
see commentary]. The possibility for
animal-to-animal transmission of the virus is
very limited with proper preventive measures,
said the World Organization for Animal Health.

According to the [French notification to the OIE, see
],
there have been 3000 cases [in the affected farm,
out of ] 8500 birds [which] have been found susceptible to the disease.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[France has become 20th country in the list of
those which have notified to the OIE, since May
2009, the identification of "Pandemic A/H1N1
virus (2009)" in their respective animal
populations. In all the cases, the source of
infection in animals, mostly subclinical or
manifested by mild clinical signs, was regarded
or suspected to be human patients. Since the
submission of the French notification on 20 Jan
2010, 2 additional countries, namely Japan and
Serbia, have notified their 1st detected animal
cases. In Serbia, there were, reportedly, 20
cases among 10 830 "susceptible" domestic pigs;
the epidemiological comment further said: "The
disease has been detected on a commercial pig
breeding farm during regular epidemiological
control performed by the veterinary inspection.
Affected animals showed respiratory signs of the
disease and therefore, samples were taken and
sent to the laboratory for further investigation.
The source of infection is unknown."

In Japan, there were, reportedly, 164 cases
among 2445 "susceptible" domestic pigs; the
epidemiological comment said: "A worker found the
animals, which showed poor appetite, fever and
cough in the farm occasionally, and reported them
to the Livestock Hygiene Service Centre in
Yamagata prefecture on 12 Jan 2010. 10 animals
which showed clinical signs were sampled. 5 of 10
samples were found to be influenza A positive by
rapid test on 12 Jan 2010 and 7 of 10 samples
were influenza A positive by PCR on 13 Jan 2010.
There were some workers who had been infected
with influenza A virus before the outbreak. On 20
Jan 2010, the virus strains detected from 4
samples were confirmed as pandemic influenza H1N1
2009 by the National Institute of Animal Health
(NIAH). The affected farm is being under
voluntary movement restraint. Epidemiological investigation is continuing."

The full, accumulated list of countries which
have sent at least one notification to the OIE
since May 2009, counts -- as of 31 Jan 2010 --
includes 22 countries. The dates of their 1st notifications are as follows:

1. 5 May 2009: A/H1N1 influenza, Canada (Immediate notification)
2. 31 Jul 2009: Influenza A subtype H1, Australia (Immediate notification)
3. 21 Aug 2009: Influenza A H1N1, Chile (Immediate notification)
4. 18 Sep 2009: Pandemic Influenza A H1N1
(2009), United Kingdom, North Ireland (Immediate notification)
5. 29 Sep 2009: Pandemic A/H1N1 2009 virus, Ireland, (Immediate notification)
6. 12 Oct 2009: Pandemic A/H1N1 2009 virus, Norway, (Immediate notification)
7. 21 Oct 2009: Pandemic Influenza H1N1 (2009),
Japan, (Immediate notification)
8. 23 Oct 2009: Pandemic H1N1 2009, Canada, (Immediate notification)
9. 27 Oct 2009: Pandemic influenza A/H1N1 virus,
Iceland, (Immediate notification)
10. 26 Nov 2009: Pandemic influenza A/H1N1, Indonesia, (Immediate notification)
11. 30 Nov 2009: Pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009,
Finland, (Immediate notification)
12. 30 Nov 2009: 2009 pandemic A/H1N1 influenza
virus, United States of America, (Immediate notification)
13. 04 Dec 2009: Pandemic A/H1N1 virus, Italy, (Immediate notification)
14. 07 Dec 2009: 2009 Pandemic H1N1 influenza, Mexico, (Immediate notification)
15. 14 Dec 2009: Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009,
Thailand, (Immediate notification)
16. 23 Dec 2009: Pandemic influenza H1N1, Korea
(Rep. of), (Immediate notification)
17. 23 Dec 2009: Pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009,
Russia, (Immediate notification)
18. 09 Jan 2010: Pandemic influenza A/H1N1
(2009), Denmark, (Immediate notification)
19. 12 Jan 2010: Pandemic A/H1N1 virus, Italy, (Immediate notification)
20. 20 Jan 2010: Pandemic A/H1N1 virus (2009), France, (Immediate notification)
21. 20 Jan 2010: Pandemic influenza H1N1 (2009),
Japan, (Immediate notification)
22. 25 Jan 2010: Pandemic Influenza A H1N1
(2009), Serbia, (Immediate notification).

A Joint statement of the FAO, WHO and OIE,
originally issued on 30 Apr 2009, said:

"Influenza viruses are not known to be
transmissible to people through eating processed
pork or other food products derived from pigs.

"Heat treatments commonly used in cooking meat
(e.g., 70 C/160 F core temperature) will readily
inactivate any viruses potentially present in raw meat products.

"Pork and pork products, handled in accordance
with good hygienic practices recommended by the
WHO, Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the OIE,
will not be a source of infection.

"Authorities and consumers should ensure that
meat from sick pigs or pigs found dead are not
processed or used for human consumption under any circumstances."

The OIE encouraged members to carry out
surveillance and reporting of the presence of all
epidemiologic events of significance in animals
due to influenza viruses, as well as any other
emerging pathogen.It further stated that "it was
indicated that no evidence has suggested that
animals play any particular role in the
epidemiology or the spread of the pandemic H1N1
2009 virus among humans. Instead, investigations
led by competent national authorities point to
possible human­to­animal transmission in most
cases. For this reason, the OIE considers that it
is sufficient to certify the healthy state of
animals for international trade during the
relevant period before their exportation and
maintains its position that no specific measures,
including laboratory tests, are required for
international trade in live pigs and other
susceptible animal species and/or their products." - Mod.AS]

[see also:
Influenza pandemic (H1N1), animal (03): Denmark, porcine 20100111.0128
Influenza pandemic (H1N1), animal (02): USA, turkey 20100108.0087
Influenza pandemic (H1N1), animal (01): China, porcine, canine 20100101.0014
2009
----
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (42): USA (NC) swine 20091228.4372
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (41):
Russia (CV) swine, OIE 20091226.4353
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (40): USA (NY) canine 20091222.4305
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (39): Germany, swine, OIE 20091211.4220
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (38): Mexico, swine, OIE 20091211.4214
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (37): USA (OR, CA) feline 20091211.4213
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (36): USA (CO) 20091209.4192
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (35): Italy, swine, OIE 20091205.4144
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (34): UK (England) 20091204.4141
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (33): USA (VA, CA) 20091204.4139
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health
(31): Finland, swine, OIE 20091201.4106
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health
(29): Indonesia, swine 20091127.4071
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (24): USA, OIE 20091107.3857
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (23): Taiwan, OIE 20091106.3840
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (22): USA, swine 20091106.3834
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (19): Iceland swine, OIE 20091028.3737
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (17):
Japan (OS) swine, OIE 20091022.3635
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (13): USA swine, conf. 20091020.3600
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (12): USA swine, susp 20091019.3592
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (11): Norway 20091019.3589
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health (10): Ireland 20091002.3427
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal (09): UK (NI) swine, OIE 20090918.3280
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health
(08): Singapore, swine 20090904.3114
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health
(06): Canada, swine 20090828.3027
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health
(05): Austr., swine 20090826.2999
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health
(02): Austr., swine 20090820.2951
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009, animal health: Canada (QC) 20090729.2661
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (17), Argentina, OIE 20090703.2401
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (16), Argentina, swine, OIE 20090626.2322
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (13) swine,
Canada, origin, RFI 20090615.2215
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (12) swine trial inf. 20090605.2088
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (11) swine trial inf. 20090604.2067
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (10) swine, Canada, cull 20090514.1813
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (09), swine, Canada 20090513.1790
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (08), food safety, FAO/OIE/WHO 20090507.1710
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (07), swine, Canada, OIE 20090506.1691
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (06), Canada, OIE 20090505.1683
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (05), swine, Canada, FAO 20090505.1680
Influenza A (H1N1): animal health (04), infected swine, Canada 20090502.1653]
....................arn/ejp/dk

*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Become a ProMED-mail Premium Subscriber at

************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at .
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################
############################################################

The Environmental Food Crisis

Click on title above for full (pdf) report

Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler

HERE’S THE BEEF This feed lot in in California can accommodate up to 100,000 head of cattle.

Gary Kazanjian for The New York Times


Published: January 27, 2008

A SEA change in the consumption of a resource that Americans take for granted may be in store — something cheap, plentiful, widely enjoyed and a part of daily life. And it isn’t oil.

The two commodities share a great deal: Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible.

Global demand for meat has multiplied in recent years, encouraged by growing affluence and nourished by the proliferation of huge, confined animal feeding operations. These assembly-line meat factories consume enormous amounts of energy, pollute water supplies, generate significant greenhouse gases and require ever-increasing amounts of corn, soy and other grains, a dependency that has led to the destruction of vast swaths of the world’s tropical rain forests.

Just this week, the president of Brazil announced emergency measures to halt the burning and cutting of the country’s rain forests for crop and grazing land. In the last five months alone, the government says, 1,250 square miles were lost.

The world’s total meat supply was 71 million tons in 1961. In 2007, it was estimated to be 284 million tons. Per capita consumption has more than doubled over that period. (In the developing world, it rose twice as fast, doubling in the last 20 years.) World meat consumption is expected to double again by 2050, which one expert, Henning Steinfeld of the United Nations, says is resulting in a “relentless growth in livestock production.”

Americans eat about the same amount of meat as we have for some time, about eight ounces a day, roughly twice the global average. At about 5 percent of the world’s population, we “process” (that is, grow and kill) nearly 10 billion animals a year, more than 15 percent of the world’s total.

Growing meat (it’s hard to use the word “raising” when applied to animals in factory farms) uses so many resources that it’s a challenge to enumerate them all. But consider: an estimated 30 percent of the earth’s ice-free land is directly or indirectly involved in livestock production, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, which also estimates that livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation.

To put the energy-using demand of meat production into easy-to-understand terms, Gidon Eshel, a geophysicist at the Bard Center, and Pamela A. Martin, an assistant professor of geophysics at the University of Chicago, calculated that if Americans were to reduce meat consumption by just 20 percent it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan — a Camry, say — to the ultra-efficient Prius. Similarly, a study last year by the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science in Japan estimated that 2.2 pounds of beef is responsible for the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the average European car every 155 miles, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for nearly 20 days.

Grain, meat and even energy are roped together in a way that could have dire results. More meat means a corresponding increase in demand for feed, especially corn and soy, which some experts say will contribute to higher prices.

This will be inconvenient for citizens of wealthier nations, but it could have tragic consequences for those of poorer ones, especially if higher prices for feed divert production away from food crops. The demand for ethanol is already pushing up prices, and explains, in part, the 40 percent rise last year in the food price index calculated by the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization.

Though some 800 million people on the planet now suffer from hunger or malnutrition, the majority of corn and soy grown in the world feeds cattle, pigs and chickens. This despite the inherent inefficiencies: about two to five times more grain is required to produce the same amount of calories through livestock as through direct grain consumption, according to Rosamond Naylor, an associate professor of economics at Stanford University. It is as much as 10 times more in the case of grain-fed beef in the United States.

The environmental impact of growing so much grain for animal feed is profound. Agriculture in the United States — much of which now serves the demand for meat — contributes to nearly three-quarters of all water-quality problems in the nation’s rivers and streams, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Because the stomachs of cattle are meant to digest grass, not grain, cattle raised industrially thrive only in the sense that they gain weight quickly. This diet made it possible to remove cattle from their natural environment and encourage the efficiency of mass confinement and slaughter. But it causes enough health problems that administration of antibiotics is routine, so much so that it can result in antibiotic-resistant bacteria that threaten the usefulness of medicines that treat people.

Those grain-fed animals, in turn, are contributing to health problems among the world’s wealthier citizens — heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes. The argument that meat provides useful protein makes sense, if the quantities are small. But the “you gotta eat meat” claim collapses at American levels. Even if the amount of meat we eat weren’t harmful, it’s way more than enough.

Americans are downing close to 200 pounds of meat, poultry and fish per capita per year (dairy and eggs are separate, and hardly insignificant), an increase of 50 pounds per person from 50 years ago. We each consume something like 110 grams of protein a day, about twice the federal government’s recommended allowance; of that, about 75 grams come from animal protein. (The recommended level is itself considered by many dietary experts to be higher than it needs to be.) It’s likely that most of us would do just fine on around 30 grams of protein a day, virtually all of it from plant sources.

Click on title above for rest of article;
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?pagewanted=2&fta=y

Mark Bittman, who writes the Minimalist column in the Dining In and Dining Out sections, is the author of “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian,” which was published last year. He is not a vegetarian.

FDA Announces Class I Recall of Certain Infusion Set Needles

Huber needles used in implanted ports to withdraw blood, inject medications, and other solutions.

Washington, DC: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a Class I recall of Exel/Exelint Huber needles, Exel/Exelint Huber Infusion Sets and Exel/Exelint “Securetouch+” Safety Huber Infusion Sets, manufactured by Nipro Medical Corporation for Exelint International Corporation.

Huber needles are used to access ports implanted under the skin of chronically ill patients for repeated access to veins for the withdrawal of blood and infusion of medication, nutritional solutions, blood products, and imaging solutions. These needles should be designed to penetrate the port without cutting and dislodging any silicone cores (or slivers) from the ports into which they are inserted.

Inspections conducted in October 2009 of Nipro facilities in Japan found that their needles “cored” in 60 to 72 percent of tests. The reason for this coring is related to design and manufacturing processes, which the FDA continues to investigate.

There are more than 2 million units impacted by this recall in distribution nationwide. Recalled needles were manufactured from January 2007 to August 2009. Units subject to recall have a lot number that begins with “07,” “08,” “09,” ; for a complete list of product codes or catalog numbers see the link below.

Following hospital reports to the FDA of leakage after accessing the port with a Huber needle (labeled to be non-coring), the agency conducted it own laboratory testing of Huber needles from multiple manufacturers. This testing showed that certain Huber needles produced cores when inserted into ports. However, at this time only needles manufactured by Nipro have shown a high frequency for coring. The agency is continuing its investigation and will update the public if there are new developments.

At this time, the FDA has not received any adverse event reports related to silicone foreign bodies released in patients from Huber needle coring.The agency received only reports of port leakage. However, because it may be very difficult for clinicians to associate adverse patient outcomes with the use of defective Huber needles, there may be under-reporting of events.

JAN-26-10: FDA Announces Class I Recall of Certain Infusion Set Needles [FDA: RECALLS]


Legal Help
If you or a loved one has suffered an adverse health event resulting from the use of this product; click on title above for legal help and a free evaluation of your possible case;
https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/submit_form.html?label=exel-exelint-huber-needles

New Report Calls For Radical Food Changes

Infographic April 1, 2009 | Issue 45•14


A joint report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust For America's Health calls for the appointment of a food czar and the creation of a food safety agency separate from the existing Food and Drug Administration. Here are some of the report's other food safety suggestions:

Indicating on packaging whether food came off the floor or was scraped off a roller

Banning the riding of horses in factories

Sniffing milk before deciding whether to drink it; if inconclusive, having others nearby also sniff milk

Animals must undergo psychological evaluation prior to slaughter to make sure meat will not taste angry

No more ingredients from giant bins with question marks on them will be allowed


Adding "unless it enhances flavor" to the end of all existing preventive measures

Pantsless food handlers required to wear a pubic net while working

Including a copy of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle in all packages of hot dogs

Article Tools

Digg Facebook Stumbleupon via @TheOnion - New Report Calls For Radical Food Changes Twitter Reddit Email
To: From:
Print Related Articles
'Please Don't Feed The Poor' Campaign Catching On
08.05.98
FDA Approves Salmonella
03.10.09
Recent Infographics
New GM-Segway Vehicle Coming

04.15.09 | Issue 45•16

Celebrity Tax Deductions

04.07.09 | Issue 45•15

The Controversial AIG Bonuses

Study Reports Deaths Due to H1N1 Vaccines Low in Number

INFLUENZA PANDEMIC (H1N1) (08): USA (VACCINE SAFETY), MONGOLIA
**************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post

ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases


In this update:
[1] USA (vaccine safety)
[2] Mongolia

****
[1] USA (vaccine safety)
Date: Sat 16 Jan 2010
Source: Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) [edited]



Summary of 2009 Monovalent H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Data � VAERS:
Data through 8 Jan 2010
-----------------------
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA (Food
and Drug Administration) provide weekly updates on our vaccine safety
monitoring activities in an effort to put the data that are publicly
available through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)
website,
() and the CDC's website, WONDER
() in context. The following
information summarizes adverse event reports to VAERS after the
administration of [pandemic] 2009 H1N1 monovalent influenza vaccine
(either by nasal spray or injection).

An adverse event is a health problem that is reported after someone
gets a vaccine or medicine. Note that persons may experience adverse
events shortly after vaccination which may or may not be caused by the
vaccine. While VAERS is an important system for helping to find
potential signs, VAERS is primarily used to detect signals that may
require further investigation, but is not able to determine if an
adverse event was caused by vaccination.

VAERS Summary:
--------------
- As of 8 Jan 2010, more than 110 million doses of [pandemic] 2009
H1N1 vaccine had been shipped to vaccination providers in the United
States, although the precise number of vaccines administered is unknown.

- As of 8 Jan 2010, VAERS had received 7814 adverse event reports
following 2009 monovalent H1N1 vaccination.

- The vast majority (94 percent) of adverse events reported to VAERS
after receiving the 2009 monovalent H1N1 vaccine are classified as
"non-serious" (e.g., soreness at the vaccine injection site).

- Of the 7814 reports, 477 (6 percent) were reports that were
classified as "serious" health events (defined as life threatening or
resulting in death, major disability, abnormal conditions at birth,
hospitalization, or extension of an existing hospitalization)*.

- The percentage of reports involving what would be considered serious
health events is not different between 2009 H1N1 and seasonal
influenza vaccines. Additionally, no new or unusual events or pattern
of adverse events have emerged.

- VAERS reports continue to be monitored as more vaccine is administered.

- Among the 477 reports of serious health events, there were 33
reports of death.

- As with all reports of serious adverse events and deaths, the 33
VAERS reports that involve deaths are under review by the CDC, the FDA
and the states where the reported deaths occurred. Preliminary
findings do not indicate a common cause or pattern (such as
similarities in age, gender, geographic location, illness surrounding
death, or underlying medical conditions) to suggest that these deaths
were associated with the vaccine. These cases are under further review
pending additional medical records (e.g., autopsy reports, medical
files).

- VAERS has received 46 reports of Guillian-Barre syndrome (GBS), for
which follow-up assessments are underway. In the United States, about
80-160 cases of GBS are expected to occur each week, regardless of
vaccination.

VAERS Limitations
-----------------
When reviewing data from VAERS, please keep in mind what the system is
designed to do and what it is unable to do:

- VAERS is a national reporting system, in which reports are submitted
voluntarily by people who think an adverse event occurred after
vaccination. VAERS does not solicit reports in any systematic way from
all people who have been vaccinated. Reports can be submitted by
anyone, including health-care providers, patients, or family members.
Because of this feature, VAERS reports may and often do include
incorrect and incomplete information. VAERS reports often lead to more
complete follow-up and review of medical records.

- VAERS staff follow-up on all serious and other selected adverse
event reports and obtain additional medical, laboratory, and/or
autopsy records when available. As a result of the follow-up/review
process, coding terms (e.g., serious or non-serious) for individual
VAERS reports may change based on the information received. These
changes are reflected in the weekly updates of VAERS data in the
WONDER database. VAERS data in WONDER should be used with caution
because numbers and conditions are often updated. Events reported in
VAERS should not be viewed as evidence that the vaccine directly
caused the event. Data does not infer causality. Further investigation
is warranted.

- Underreporting, or failure to report events, is also one of the main
limitations of VAERS. Serious medical events are more likely to be
reported than minor events.

- Most importantly, VAERS cannot determine cause-and-effect. VAERS
accepts all reports without regard to whether or not the event was
caused by the vaccine. The report of an adverse event to VAERS does
not mean that a vaccine caused the event. It only indicates that the
event occurred some time after administration of the vaccine. Proof
that the event was caused by the vaccine is NOT required in order for
VAERS to accept the report.

- No reports are deleted from VAERS. Therefore, it is possible to have
more than one VAERS report on an individual case (e.g., a physician
and a patient may have filed separate reports for the same case).

- For all reports of serious adverse events, VAERS staff seeks
follow-up medical records on each case and medical officers review
them closely to determine if any additional action or studies may be
needed.

- The most reliable information about vaccine side effects can be
found in the manufacturers' vaccine package insert
tm>,
vaccine information statements (VISs), or the Advisory Committee on
Immunizations Practices' (ACIP's ) statements on vaccines at
.

Actions taken by the CDC and the FDA
------------------------------------
- The CDC and the FDA take every adverse event report seriously and
individually review all reports of serious adverse events so that
potential problems can be quickly evaluated.

- The CDC, the FDA and their partners are using many systems to
monitor the safety of 2009 monovalent H1N1 influenza vaccine. Two
primary systems that are in use are VAERS, which is jointly operated
with the FDA, and the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project
.

- Additionally, the CDC and the FDA are collaborating with various
agencies, departments (e.g., Departments of Defense and Veterans
Affairs), and other partners (e.g., professional organizations,
academic institutions) to conduct surveillance of adverse events
().

- These federal agencies and departments, in cooperation with state
and local health departments, healthcare providers, and other partners
work closely with the CDC to monitor the safety of all vaccines
licensed for use in the United States, including 2009 H1N1 and
seasonal influenza vaccines.

- In an effort to be able to provide accurate and timely data on the
safety of the [pandemic] 2009 monovalent H1N1 influenza vaccine, the
federal government, along with local, professional, and academic
partners, has enhanced the existing vaccine safety monitoring systems
().

- The National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) created the H1N1
Vaccine Safety Risk Assessment Working Group to review 2009 H1N1
vaccine safety data
. This working
group of outside experts will conduct regular, rapid reviews of
available data from the federal safety monitoring systems and present
them to the NVAC and federal leadership for appropriate policy action
and follow up.

- A summary of the Federal Plans to Monitor Immunization Safety for
the Pandemic 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Program is available at
.

Facts about VAERS
-----------------
- VAERS is a program that is jointly administered by the CDC's
Immunization Safety Office and the FDA. VAERS receives information
from different sources (vaccine recipients, parents, other family
members, doctors, other health-care workers, and the vaccine
manufacturer) across the United States who choose to report an adverse
event occurring after vaccination. VAERS is designed to identify
potential adverse events that warrant additional study.

- Serious adverse event and other selected reports are reviewed by
medical officers, nurses, and trained staff at both the FDA and the
CDC. VAERS receives reports of many events that occur following
immunization. It serves as an early warning system that can detect
patterns in reports and determine whether further investigation is
necessary.

- An adverse event is a health problem that is reported after someone
gets a vaccine or medicine. It may or may not have been caused by the
vaccine or medicine. Some of these events may occur by chance or
during the period following vaccination, while others may actually be
caused by vaccination.

- Anyone who thinks that they may have had an adverse event after
receiving 2009 monovalent H1N1 influenza vaccine (or any vaccine)
should file a VAERS report. This can be done online, by regular mail,
or by fax.

[An adverse event, as defined by the Code of Federal Regulations, is
considered serious if it is life threatening, or results in death, a
persistent or significant disability or incapacity, congenital anomaly
or birth defect, hospitalization, or prolongation of existing
hospitalization.]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[Taking into consideration the caveats expressed in the preceding
document it is clear that the rate of vaccine adverse events (VAE)
during the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccination campaign is comparable to
that observed during the course of seasonal influenza vaccination. The
number of Guillain-Barre syndrome cases recorded is less than the
weekly average expected in the USA irrespective of vaccination. There
is no evidence that the 33 deaths recorded had any connection to the
vaccine. During the course of vaccination of 100 million people there
are likely to be a small number of coincidental deaths. Although not
noted in this document, it must be presumed that the mode of
vaccination and the origin of the vaccine were not causes for concern.
- Mods.JW/CP]

******
[2] Pandemic (H1N1) - Mongolia
Date: Fri 15 Jan 2010
Source: UB Post, Ministry of Health statement [edited]
id=36>


H1N1 Mongolian Update
---------------------
According to the Ministry of Health [of Mongolia], the number of
laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 has reached 1259. The death toll
caused by the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus has now reached 29. Of those
deaths, 15 were recorded in Ulaanbaatar City, 5 in Uvurkhangai, 2 in
Dornogobi and one in Arkhangai, Bulgan, Sukhbaatar, Dundgobi and
Bayan-ulgii provinces each.

As we previously reported, the WHO delivered 100 thousand doses of
[pandemic] H1N1 vaccine. In the 1st phase, vaccines were planned to be
provided to pregnant women. Accordingly, the districts' united
hospitals are currently providing vaccines to pregnant women. Children
were immunized with 60 thousand doses vaccine for A subtype
[pandemic?] influenza H1N1 virus.

32 thousand doses of vaccine were divided among public servants and
starting since yesterday [14 Jan 2010], the General Emergency Agency
and the State Professional Control Agency's staff were involved in the
vaccination.

And beginning today [15 Jan 2010], newsmen who are at constant risk of
infection because of their regular communication with the public are
now being vaccinated. According the Ministry of Health, 270
journalists will be involved in the vaccination.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail


[Identification of journalists as a priority group for vaccination is
an unusual decision. A map of Mongolia showing the capital Ulaanbaatar
and the other cities can be accessed at:
. - Mod.CP]

[see also:
2009
----
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (123): vaccine safety 20091205.4152
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (112): Canada (MB), vaccine reaction
20091121.4009
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (67): vaccine delivery 20091011.3515
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (63): USA military vaccine 20091002.3437
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (55): vaccine formulation 20090925.3359
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (54): vaccine availability 20090921.3325
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (53): vaccine donation 20090919.3290
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (49): FDA vaccine update 20090917.3254
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (21): vaccine prioriities 20090730.2669
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (11): vaccine issues 20090722.2595
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (10): vaccine 20090720.2577
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (05): vaccine 20090716.2540
Influenza pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (03): vaccine 20090713.2505]
......................cp/ejp/jw
*##########################################################*
************************************************************
ProMED-mail makes every effort to verify the reports that
are posted, but the accuracy and completeness of the
information, and of any statements or opinions based
thereon, are not guaranteed. The reader assumes all risks in
using information posted or archived by ProMED-mail. ISID
and its associated service providers shall not be held
responsible for errors or omissions or held liable for any
damages incurred as a result of use or reliance upon posted
or archived material.
************************************************************
Become a ProMED-mail Premium Subscriber at

************************************************************
Visit ProMED-mail's web site at .
Send all items for posting to: promed@promedmail.org
(NOT to an individual moderator). If you do not give your
full name and affiliation, it may not be posted. Send
commands to subscribe/unsubscribe, get archives, help,
etc. to: majordomo@promedmail.org. For assistance from a
human being send mail to: owner-promed@promedmail.org.
############################################################

Corporate Threats to Our Food Supply

Looming Before Us: Corporate Threats to Your Food Supply
posted 1/23/2010 2:17:27 PM | 0 kudos what's this?
report abuse
moon_watcher53



Dr. Shiv Chopra was a drug company insider, and also worked for what is now Health Canada -- the Canadian equivalent of the FDA. He’s acquired an enormous amount of expertise about vaccines, which you can hear in the first part of our interview, and also about the food supply.
In this second interview, Dr. Chopra shares his knowledge about food issues that affect every single one of us.
Sources:

Dr. Shiv Chopra Interview Part 1

Dr. Mercola's Comments:
I am very excited to share this second interview with all of you. Dr. Chopra is an insider; he was hired by the drug companies and worked with vaccine development in Europe. He has also worked for the Canadian government, in the equivalent of the FDA. He was a senior scientific advisor for what is now Health Canada for 20 years, working primarily in vaccines and antibiotics.

However, Dr. Chopra is also very knowledgeable and passionate about the issues threatening the food supply, and his sentiments echo my own very closely.

As Small Farms Disappear, the Food System is Crumbling

Most “farming” today is nothing like the small farming of our ancestors. Food production on a massive, corporate level has taken over the natural farming practices that thrived for hundreds of years. As Dr. Chopra said:

“Look at our food supply in Canada and the United States since they were established 200-300 years ago until they started to turn into this intensive industrial farming.

Until then, they were the happiest lands anywhere on earth because food was pristine, pure and it was doing well -- and there was a lot of land and water. Everything was good.

And then came the mechanization -- the chemicalization -- and now it’s come to the elimination of the family farm. How has it happened? This last thing that I’m talking about: we now no longer have family farms left, very few and very far in between.”

Those of you who are new to the natural health scene may find it surprising that the modern food system is in danger of collapsing. The food system began its dramatic decline the second the world turned away from the farming practices of our ancestors, and began to attempt to outdo nature with technology.

Now, producing food on a massive scale at the lowest price possible has taken precedence over obeying the laws of nature. The system is pushing natural systems and organisms to their limit, forcing living creatures to function as machines.

Of course, “whatever we may gain in industrial efficiency, we sacrifice in biological resilience,” Michael Pollan pointed out in Our Decrepit Food Factories.

Animals Pumped Full of Hormones and Fed Unnatural Diets

As you might suspect, food that is raised using unnatural processes often leads to unnatural responses in those who eat it. Now we are facing the reality of meat and dairy products laced with cancer-causing hormones, super-bug-creating antibiotics and new manifestations like mad cow disease.

Dr. Chopra expands:

“It first started with chemical fertilizers, and then pesticides, and then they moved on. From the pesticides, they said, “We can feed animals back to animals because only half the animal is meat and then the rest of the animal has to be wasted.”

So they picked up slaughterhouse waste and they ground it up. They picked up dogs and cats -- road kill as well -- and ground it all up. They start to feed animals back to animals that we people eat. All the animals that people ate were herbivores. We didn’t eat carnivore animals. We didn’t eat birds that prey on other birds.

So they’ve been grinding all these up and they were feeding it back to the animals until it turned into a big business. It started in Germany and spread to the UK, and then there’s mad cow disease.

Next came hormones. Hormones are also used for industrial farming for all animals to be impregnated on the same day. Then came along the bovine growth hormone (BGH) to increase milk production. That, unfortunately or fortunately, landed on my desk in 1988, and I started to ask questions. I said, “What’s this? Why are you doing that? Have you done any studies?” Monsanto, of course, had not done any studies.


Meanwhile, they passed other hormones for beef production. These hormones are sex hormones -- like a large birth control pill -- that are implanted behind the ears of cattle and left there for life. People eat that beef. Some of those hormones are synthetic and have been proven to be complete carcinogens.”

Further, raising animals in this way -- away from their natural environments and diets -- actually increases their risk of passing on a dangerous bug to you. For instance, most cows are fed grains, when their natural diet is grass. Grain diets create a much higher level of acidity in the animal’s stomach, which E. coli bacteria need to survive.

Making Food Safer With the “Five Pillars of Food Safety”

Dr. Chopra has a very interesting point, and that is if you remove the dangerous aspects of food production, it automatically makes for a much safer food supply. In essence, if you return to natural farming practices, there is no need for “organic” regulations because all food would be safe and natural.

This is how it was in the past … all food was essentially organic as a matter of course.

As Dr. Chopra explains, five of the most offending substances in the food supply are antibiotics, hormones, GMOs, pesticides and slaughterhouse waste. He says:

“If we demand to take these five substances out of the food system automatically, all food becomes natural. We don’t have to fight for it as organic; we don’t have to label. We don’t have to do anything. I call them in my book, which is called Corrupt to the Core: Memoirs of a Health Canada Whistleblower, the five pillars of food safety.

Three of those five are already banned in the European Union. The fourth, GMOs, have not yet been approved. With the fifth, Sweden has already banned some 80 pesticides. And so they’re on their way to do that.

Why would Canada and the United States not do the same thing?

Because otherwise, by loading all safety standards for food or even vaccines, we are going to import these things from China, India, Mexico, Brazil and we will be responsible.

Now we’re lowering the standards because the companies know that we don’t have the labor to produce food, drugs or anything here. It’s all going to come from those developing countries.

We have no standards -- like we know happened with melamine from China -- and we’re trying to set a standard on how much melamine can be safe. That’s ridiculous. Why should melamine be there in the first place or anything which is abnormal in the food system?

So we should be saying, “These are our standards: our food can be exported, bad food cannot be imported.”

And the whole world will begin to clean itself. Water, climate: it’s all food-dependent. If we clean up the food system, automatically everything cleans





http://www.matchdoctor.com/blog_115274/Looming_Before_Us_Corporate_Threats_to_Your_Food_Supply.html