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WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT -- BANNED IN AUSTRALIA
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Country of Origin
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Product
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| Austria |
Beef goulash, liver pate, luncheon meat, meat |
| Belgium |
Meat flavourings, sauces, soups |
| Croatia |
Beef pate, beef luncheon meats, beef slice, canned liver, canned
meat, meat paste, soups, filled pasta |
| Denmark |
Bouillon, corned beef, luncheon meat, frankfurters, soups, protein concentrate (See Moo madness - Part 1) |
| France |
Corned beef, cassoulet, canned meats, dressings, sauces, soups,
veal-chicken-beef stocks |
| Germany |
Bockwurst, soups, gravy, filled pasta, pate |
| Hungary |
Food & soup preparation |
| Ireland |
Animal gut sausage casing |
| Italy |
Pate, salami, tripe, canned jelly with beef |
| Macedonia |
Pate, pasta, prepared meats, beef goulash, soups, filled pasta |
| Netherlands |
Luncheon meat, canned cooked meat in brine, frankfurters, sauces,
soups, stock cubes, filled pasta |
| Norway |
Pate |
| Poland |
Liverwurst, pate, preserved meat/offal, soups |
| Portugal |
Soups |
| Russia |
Beef stew, meat balls, preserved liver, soup mixes |
| Slovenia |
Paste, pate, corned beef, soups |
| Spain |
Sauces, soups |
| Switzerland |
Sauces, soups |
| UK |
Pasta, filled pasta, pasta sauce, canned spaghetti in tomato sauce |
Other countries on the ban list, but whose products were not specified
are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia,
Finland, Greece, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Romania,
Slovak Republic and Yugoslavia.
The full list of banned foods and countries is not available on ANZFA website http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/ or http://www.anzfa.govt.nz. To obtain a copy in Australia, phone 02-6271-2241, fax 02-6271-2278
or email info@anzfa.gov.au. For folks in New Zealand, the contact details are: phone 04-473-9942,
fax 04-473-9855 and email nz.reception@anzfa.gov.au.
IS MY FOOD SAFE?
 That's what everyone really wants to know and the answer is a qualified "yes, maybe". CJD is worldwide but, officially there is no BSE in the US to date, nor in Canada, Australia or New Zealand, plus some other countries. On the other hand, using MBM is also widespread in America as well as Australia. We saw in Moo Madness - Part 2 that some European farmers knowingly fed their animals MBM (meat and bonemeal) until December 2000 because it was cheap. In that same newsletter, we shared that US feed manufacturers, renderers and farmers/producers flagrantly ignored feed labeling regulations to prevent animals from eating a cannibalistic menu - the cause of BSE.
According to a World Health Organization document dated early
2000, they are testing fish to see if they develop prion diseases.
The is no answer yet as the study is expected to take at least
two years.31
IS our food safe? While the government and industry say yes, (don't
suppose they have a biased opinion, do you. . .?), food safety
advocates aren't as sure. Michael Hansen, a research associate
with the Consumers Union in Washington says, "The government agencies
say they have erected this firewall (against mad cow). We don't
have a firewall. It's more like a white picket
fence."32
The best advise we can offer is to continue to eat as you normally would with a few modifications. One simply can't switch their diets to become vegans overnight or eat only legumes or wheat or even Snickers. Drastic changes often play cruel games with the digestive tract reminiscent of the rhyme:
Beans, beans, the musical fruit, The more you eat, the more you toot,
The more you toot, the better you feel, So let's eat beans at every meal!
Not only would this cause you major stomach distress, but even
your closest family members would have to love you a LOT to stay in the same room. Make changes gradually and in a balanced
fashion.
Stan and I eat very little red meat. It's not something we planned; it just sort of happened. We do enjoy an occasional steak or a burger sometimes sneaks into our stomachs (where did that come from?!), but we eat a lot more poultry and fish. Since
we are addicted to Tex-Mex, it automatically eliminates many potential
nasties and tastes just as yummy substituting old El Paso's Mexe-Beans
for meat. Heap on enough other goodies and you'll never miss it.
Promise.
A paper written by Michael Greger states "epidemiological evidence
suggests that people eating meat more than four times a week for
a prolonged period have a three times higher chance of suffering
a dementia than long-time vegetarians".33 He also says this may be a function of cleaner veins. No matter
how you slice it, eating less red meat is a more healthful way
to live.
A poll from Dublin released this week shows the Irish have voluntarily cut their beef and beef products consumption by 38% specifically due to Mad Cow fears. In Dublin proper, 49% of the residents have given beef the boot.34
Of course, red meat further away from the bone is considered safer. Deli meats like a chicken roll, log or loaf can contain ingredients other than the pure meat meaning binders, fillers and gelatin. Salami, sausages, hotdogs and yes, meat pies start toget a little more dicey because who knows what all is ground up into these goodies.
Certainly don't eat deer and elk - herds have up to 15% infection.
If you must, do so only after having the animal tested for CWD
and it's been given the all-clear. Stan and I don't care for lamb
and we wouldn't feed it to Seismo and Taco due to scrapie. Australia
and New Zealand are two countries that have not had scrapie for
decades and it's probably perfectly safe to do so here. We should
add that scrapie, so far, has not been shown to affect dogs. The majority of scientists claim scrapie is not dangerous to people,
but others tests show it can transfer to humans. As with BSE, the question is how much of
this prion poison will be dangerous for you personally, since
not everyone seems to have the same level of resistance. Feeling
lucky?
Check pet food labels for "meat by-products" and call the company
to see what these include specific to your manufacturer. A toll-free
number is usually included on the bag, box or can. I checked the
bag of Pedigree Meaty Bites Performance we feed our canines and
was not pleased with all the ingredients contained in their food.
However, its supplemental vitamins are really good. Ingredients
listed in order of highest content are: meat and meat by-products derived from chicken, beef, lamb and mutton; wholegrain cereals
(wheat, rice, maize); wheat bran; animal digest; vegetable oil; tallow; vegetable fiber; iodized salt; potassium chloride; zinc sulfate;
choline chloride; antioxidants; vitamin E; kelp; garlic; copper
sulfate; ferrous sulfate (iron); vitamin A; calcium pantothenate;
solium selenite; vitamin B2; vitamin B12; potassium iodide; vitamin
B1; niacin; vitamin D3; pyridoxine; folic acid.
SAFETY MEASURES IN THE HOME
Prions have more lives than a cat, more tenacity than an old goat
and more staying power than Popeye on spinach concentrate. Virtually
nothing kills them and certainly not colloidal silver which is
a frequently asked question.
What do cooking, washing, freezing, boiling, autoclaving at 121oC (250oF) for 15 minutes, dry heating at <300oC (<562oF), ionizing, UV or microwave radiation all have in common? None
of these standard methods of sterilization disable prions. Alcohol,
ammonia, propiolactone, formalin, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen
peroxide, peracetic acid, phenolics, sodium dodecyl sulfate agents
(SDS) (5%) have also been tried, but have no effect.35
 Because normal sterilization has little or no effect on prions,
a new set of procedures had to be formulated for the medical field.
Part of the new safety procedures require disposable instruments
to be used for tonsillectomies.
Morticians understandably became quite concerned because they
must handle parts of corpses most infected with the deadly prions.
Dr. Ron Brown, Harvard graduate and doctor at the National Institute of Heath, has written over 200 articles just on CJD. It was his task to come up with new protocols for healthcare workers and morticians' safety in morgues which have since been written up in Directors Magazine, a publication for funeral directors.
If you suspect your home has ever come in contact with prions
or cared for a person with CJD, there are some precautions to
take. These same safety procedures that have been written for
morticians and healthcare workers can be used in the home.
 This same method will work on appliance surfaces. Bleach may fade
paint and wallpaper. Before using on floors with linoleum or tile,
be sure to check with the manufacturer. Obviously this is not
usable on carpeted kitchens.
For dishes, pots, pans, cutlery and eating utensils, soak these
items in full strength bleach for two hours and rinse thoroughly.
For folks using Clorox Ultra with 6% sodium hypochlorite and a
light lye compound, follow the same directions.
 To disinfect kitchen countertops (benches in Australia), apply
chlorine bleach full strength and let stand at least one hour,
two is better. Different countries use different strength bleach.
Use a product that has at least 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. It
doesn't matter if it contains soap or scent. Be sure to check
the date before using to ensure that none of its potency has diminished.
Dr. Brown does say the bleach can be diluted as much as 5 parts
water to one part bleach, but this is not recommended. If you do choose to dilute, be sure to make a fresh batch before
using and discard any leftover solution. Rinse all surfaces thoroughly.
DOWN ON THE FARM
These are good safety measures for farmers who need to take in
bovine brains samples to be tested for BSE. Any container with
BSE contaminated waste should be decontaminated with sodium hydroxide
(lye) pellets using 40g (1-1/2 ounces) per litre of fluid. The
mixture should be stirred after a few minutes. Be careful to avoid
spilling; the fluid will be hot. Anyone who has made soap knows
lye heats as the chemical process takes place. Leave contents
undisturbed for at least one hour, then dispose of in sealed metal
containers.
Continue
© Text and Graphics, 2001 Stan and Holly Deyo, except where otherwise
credited
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