Federal officials ban six strains of toxin-producing bacteria from beef supply
Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comE. coli victim helped push for change in USDA rules
Seeded on Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:32 PM EDT (msnbc.com)
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Leave a Comment:
But...but...but Regulating businesses to save lives is BAD!
/sarcasm
Truly, I'm glad that this girl made it, and I'm glad to see some positive steps taken, though they may have been delayed. I'm especially heartened to see a meat producer taking it's own steps to test long before the rules were implemented - but notice it was only one, and not one of the major's (Tyson, Cargill - I'm looking at YOU).
Thank you.
Government can be useful right?
I think the issue is how much cost (both direct and passed on to us, the end consumer) will these additional regulations cause which may screen for microbes that appear in "two tenths of one percent" of cases and have never once caused a fatality? Remember these big regulatory agencies are concerned with overall public safety, not niche cases.
This department for consumer safety would or is considered a frivolity by the Teapublicans so when they really get the power it will only be voluntary measures after incidents worse than Shiloh's ordeal -
Good Luck Shiloh and to the others because it will only be by luck we survive this attack on the American People from within as every major power has collapsed and rotted from within not from without. This is only an illustration of the resistance of the food suppliers to ensure safety and they do not need to pass the cost on to the consumer they are making plenty of profit as it is - but when are they ever contended with mere profit?
Do you mean them big nasty, job killing regulations might actually save lives ?Upton Sinclair wrote about what our lives would be like without the FDA over 100 years ago, in "The Jungle."
For all the Tea Party people who want to eliminate the FDA, read, learn history.
MmmmMmmmBeer these microbes have killed overseas so there is the potential. The hidden cost of these microbes is the cost to the health industry for on going treatment for people who have lasting effects from the infection.
The other side is for every one person who ends up in hospital you may have another 9 who suffer at home with the loss of productivity adding to the cost of not testing and screening for these microbes.
So exactly how many Americans have to die before it's no longer a niche case?
a) 10
b) 100
c) 1000
d) 1000000
e) None of the above, it costs tax payer money, screw'em let'em die.
"When they show you who they are...believe them!"
The meat industry and trade groups, especially the American Cattlemen Association, has fought against safe beef products sold to American retailers. During the height of the MadCow Disease, a Texan cattle rancher had wanted to test each and every one of his cow for MadCow Disease. The USDA, like other corrupt government regulatory agencies bought by lobbyists to protect not the consumer but the industry, obtained a court injunction against the Texan cattle rancher.
Today's cattles are fatten in over-crowed feed lots. Cattles are living in filth and squalor amidst crowded pens filled with their own feces. Is it any wonder E Coli has spread to the beef supply and poisoned consumers?
Some would argue for more government over sight. But is there need for more proof that government regulatory agencies don't work? Do we not remember the failures of the SEC(Madoff, Enron, Tyco, Worldcom), FDIC(Countrywide, WaMu, Wachovia), FTC(credit card banksters, insurance, credit repair, credit reports) FCC(cell phone rates, land line charges, surreptious charges) FDA(PhenPhen, DalkonShield, dangerous diet pills, questionable drug testing prior to mass distribution) etc.
The proven solution: Let private enterprise regulate consumer products.
I was always told too always cook food (especially meat) to safe temps to kill off E. Coli, salmonella, and other bacteria. I'm not saying that these regulations aren't a good thing (I've seen people with food poisoning....I don't ever want it), but why test for these bacteria if it can be killed in the cooking process anyway? Does this eliminate the need to cook things to a certain tempature now?
"Retail giant Costco also requires its suppliers to test for the non-0157 E. coli strains."
Might be buying that Costco membership now.
Yes, I would recommend that as Costco does require testing.
I thinking stem cell may be of help in repaying kidneys that are damaged by infections
Too bad Bush put a stop to parts of the research. That put us back about 8 years
Obama got us back on track in the first week
The USDA is horribly understaffed and the GOP has made the agency almost toothless.
It's time to put some teeth and funding back into the USDA !!
According to the Teabag wing of the GOP we don't need the USDA, so we can do without it...Right! Without we would all be glowing in the dark from Chinese poisons in our food.
e coli didn't even exist before factory farms became the norm and they began to force fed cows corn instead of their natural diet of grass. Make grass-fed beef more affordable and available by subsidizing it and you'll reduce e coli.
you do realize that microbial life has been around about 3billion years, humans about 20,000. E.coli wins every time.
e coli existed before people started eating food.
The 300 people who were hospitalized, and the 100,000+ people who were made ill, would seem to indicate that the "meat industry" doesn't have a freaking clue, or are liars. Which is it?
Don't forget the tobacco companies also say there's no proof that smoking causes lung cancer.
The industries are always going act in THEIR best interests, not the consumers.
You mean we can't just trust companies to actually test the food they sell?
Perhaps this girl should ask a question or two at the next Republican Debate.
People who think that industries will self-regulate have never learned anything about the USA in the 19th and early 20th century.
WHAT BIG GOVERNMENT IN OUT LIVES!!!! This is public health people. Republican'ts and Tea Partiers don't believe in public health let alone public anything else. Industry will never regulate themselves it cuts into profits.
tttt
If the american public would stop freaking out about using radiation to kill bacteria in meat and vegetables we wouldn't have to worry about E. coli.
Then it would be easier to choose your meat:
#1. The meat that crawls into your cart on its own.
#2. The meat that you can see in your refrigerator even if the light doesn't work.
jk... irradiation does work, but may not work on all viruses.
You got that right Jon! But Americans are too stupid to understand (or to learn about the fact that) that killing bacteria using radiation is perfectly safe and effective. After all, these beef companies can just write you a check when a loved one dies....how much is your mom worth again? Don't worry, the owners of the meat companies spend that on booze each weekend.
Oh, and the cost? The cost of radiation is N-O-T-H-I-N-G compared to the profits these guys make. Why don't you make the call: A) safer hamburger for a few cents more or B) paying for 5 year old to be on dialysis the rest of her life. Hmmmm. Tough one.
dirp, I really need a laugh today. Actually, I kind of like the meat crawling in your basket. Isn't that more of the going in the woods variety?
LOL, Like the Gov here in OK, Liar, Fallin...."don't tread on us.." "we want government out of our lives" but as soon as it snows, ices, tornado, fire.....FEMA HELP...sticking her hand out.
But someone who has NO health ins and cld lose EVERYTHING to the hospital..(that is true btw) she won't ask for help for them because SHE DOESN'T care about them...
Repubs are hateful and rude and want ZERO regulations....
Nice to see someone speaking out about this. I was hospitalized with E. coli in 2009 and it was horrendous. It was incredible to me, even after taking personal precautions to avoid E. coli exposure (to the extent one is able to do so), to find that the government lacked basic regulations with regard to tainted meat. I consider myself fortunate not to have suffered lasting effects from my illness and would encourage everyone to reduce or eliminate their consumption of animal products. No one should have to go through what this young lady or I went through to be convinced that we are our own best advocates and cannot trust the FDA to have the foresight to prevent these incidences.
The government ought not to be the meat packers QC. The business management should be held accountable for their own QC - with serious business fines civil suits, and felony jail sentences for openers.
AND.. the government should levy fees on these high public risk businesses based on their records of quality or lack of it just to pay for government oversight.
AND.. if meat is irradiated like that done by Omaha Steaks International - there would never be a problem to find or solve. But too many people prefer death over science.
Or people could follow the safe handling and cooking guidelines that accompany packages of ground beef. Namely cooking to 180 and not handling raw meat and then handling fruits, vegetables, cooked product. Basic food safety prevents foodborne illness.
Granted in a restaurant setting you don't have the option of seeing how it is prepared but if you can look up their health inspection status.
How much contamination of our food supply is okay, 1%, 2%, more? When is it okay to have e Coli in our food supply? NEVER!!!!!!!!
Actually most E. coli strains are beneficial to all animals. Some E. coli is our normal biota and helps us break down things in our large intestines. There is a reason that they are banning 6, these are harmful. Try taking antibiotics and that feeling of 'gotta go' in your gut is lack of bacteria. Our mouths alone have 300 strains of bacteria and our intestines have more.
I suspect the Tea party doesn't wnat this government agency as it now exist. The colusion of big business and our govenment agencies is the problem. When the inspector has to make an appiontment to inspect the business , something is wrong.