Food Safety News

 

Huffington Post UK posted on January 7, 2013 that bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in milk had been detected from cattle infected with the disease.

On July 1^st the British government admitted they have been selling infected cattle. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) insisted the meat posed no risk to health. The infected meat is banned by restaurants and most major supermarkets but the government, which pays farmers if their cattle have to be slaughtered, has been selling the carcasses to hospitals and the nation's military, the Mirror said.

A spokeswoman from DEFRA said: "All meat from cattle slaughtered due to bovine TB must undergo rigorous food safety checks before it can be passed fit for consumption.” It is important to note that meat from infected cattle is not marked in any way to distinguish it.

"The Food Standards Agency has confirmed there are no known cases where TB has been transmitted through eating meat and the risk of infection from eating meat, even if raw or undercooked, remains extremely low." It was reported that around 28,000 infected animals are traded each year. “Only about 40 Britons a year are diagnosed with the bovine strain of TB, whereas about 9,000 are diagnosed with the human strain.”

The Sunday Times reported that DEFRA's reassurances contrasted with experts' warnings, which have said rising levels of bTB in cattle are becoming a serious threat to human health.

I say people should know what they are eating. The source of meat should be stated on meat labels. People should be informed so they can make the right choice.

Facts on Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB)

  ·         It is a chronic and infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis.     

  ·         It is one of  the world's most serious animal health problems and is an important public health concern.   

  ·         It is mainly a respiratory disease and is transmitted primarily through aerosols.  

  ·         It is a chronic and contagious disease of livestock, wildlife and humans.

  ·         The most common means humans acquire bTB is through the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products or insufficiently cooked animal products from BTB-infected animal.

  ·         In Europe, the main source of infection comes from the badgers. Large numbers are slaughtered to control its spread. Primary agent is the cattle. Other animals such as deer, monkeys, opossums, and elephants have been infected too.

  ·         It can also be transmitted from cow to calf in utero or through infected milk.

  ·         It is found in areas where intensive dairy systems are practiced and in cattle kept indoors at a higher population density than in cattle kept on pasture.  

  ·         The Cooperative Federal-State-Industry effort to eradicate bovine TB from cattle in the US has made significant progress since the program’s inception in 1917. The disease has nearly been eliminated from the livestock population of the US. However, their ultimate goal of eradication remains elusive as animal health officials continue to detect TB sporadically in livestock herds.

  ·         The US Federal and State Animal Health Officials jointly conduct monthly surveillance for bovine tuberculosis. When infected animals are identified, officials investigate these cases to determine if additional animals or herds of animals are infected.

  ·         It was reported that there were 16 affected cattle between October, 2012 to May, 2013 primarily in Michigan and a dairy farm in California. In Michigan this problem remains a challenge in their livestock and wildlife for the past 15 years. Its geographical location plays a major role.

  ·         Disease eradication is done in two ways. One is whole herd depopulation and the other is whole herd testing and removal plan. Increased cooperation between regulatory agencies, hunters, local business owners, and livestock industry partners is needed to complete its eradication. Additional research and surveillance that is less costly are also needed.

Food Sustainability

The dietary choices we make affect not just our health but also the environment and the well-being of future generations. The global food system may need to change to adapt to future economic and environmental conditions. 

Sustainable agriculture is a way of growing plants or raising animals in an ecologically and ethically responsible manner. Eating sustainably means eating food that is grown or raised according to these principles. 

Sustainable Farming Practices---

• protect the environment 
• can lead to higher yields over time with less need for fertilizers 
• are an integral part of the local economy, creating new jobs, and investing in the   community 
• are humane to farm animals permit them to roam around, root in the dirt and peck the
  ground. 
• focus on raising food that is healthy for consumers and 
• safeguards human health • provide fair treatment to farm workers 
• produce food that is more delicious and taste better 
• Sustainably raised animals are given antibiotics only when sick, not to promote growth or
  other prophylactic reasons. 

The mechanization of agriculture in the 20th century brought about the production of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. This in turn increased food production to feed the growing population worldwide. However, advances in technology came at a heavy price. The widespread use of toxic herbicides and pesticides cause pollution, harm wildlife, and most importantly they cause long term human health problems such as respiratory problems and cancer. 

We have also become more dependent on foreign oil and international trade in order to support this industrialization. From production to processing (preservatives and additives) to packaging to transport (long distances) and distribution, the global food system has become complex. Yet food is shipped faster, farther and cheaper anywhere in the world. A wide array of food is readily available at any time of the year. These have contributed however to the greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Our diets consist of unprecedented amount of processed foods and the number of genetically modified foods that are patented have increased. Even organic foods have been industrialized. All these support large corporations not local economy.

Industrial crop production relies on monocropping. It is a process of growing only one crop in a large area of land. This reduces genetic diversity of plants and makes them more susceptible to disease, causing potential for pests to easily destroy an entire crop. Industrial or factory farms consume large quantities of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas) due to heavy use of commercial fertilizers and pesticides that are damaging to the environment, communities and farm workers. These fertilizers have been linked to birth defects, infertility, cancer and potentially neurological problems. When crops are bred for high yield, fast growth and ease of transport the nutrient content of food is compromised. 

Ways for Consumers to contribute to Food Sustainability---

• Cook more often at home using locally grown produce and pastured animal products. 
• Support the independent family farmer by buying produce from local farm markets. This will help save family farms. The more farms are forced to go out of business the more we will lose food security because we will have to rely on industrial agriculture and food imports from other countries. 
• Eat foods in season. During peak season prices of produce from local farm markets are
  comparable with non-local markets found in supermarkets. 
• Try canning, freezing, or dehydrating produce.  Grow your own vegetables and herbs. You can even do container gardening indoors. 
• Minimize purchasing convenience foods. Make your own sauces such as spaghetti sauce, gravies, soup, granola, cook old fashioned oatmeal instead of instant. 
• Buy Fairtrade for their stable prices. By doing so consumers also support producers who are struggling to improve their lives.

                                            

• Locally grown animal products are sustainable. Compared to animals raised in factory farms they have higher levels of omega 3 and vitamins A and E. Grass-fed beef is lower in fat and has higher ratios of HDL (good) cholesterol to LDL (bad) cholesterol. Eggs from cage-free chickens have higher levels of omega 3 fat and vitamin E. 
• Try to avoid foods produced on foreign land. These foods are non-sustainable and are costly to our health, soil, and environment.