Food Safety
Deliberate attempt to mislead the public about safety concerns.
In a recent CNN segment, announcing the discovery of a case of
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or ‘Mad Cow Disease’ at a
dairy farm in California, there was made a deliberate attempt to
mislead the public about safety concerns.
Quoting the USDA, CNN repeated claims that the cow was “never
presented for slaughter for human consumption” and “milk does not
transmit BSE.”
Two things…
It was a DAIRY cow, so the claim that it was not presented for
‘slaughter’ is a deliberate attempt to confuse the issue in the
public mind.
Additionally, both Mad Cow Disease and it’s human counterpart
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease are ‘prion’ diseases. Scientific
studies have demonstrated that prions can actually transfer from
animal to animal via MILK consumption.
Prion Diseases
About Prion Diseases
CDC.gov
Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a family of rare progressive neurodegenerative disorders that affect both humans and animals. They are distinguished by long incubation periods, characteristic spongiform changes associated with neuronal loss, and a failure to induce inflammatory response.
The causative agents of TSEs are believed to be prions. The term “prions” refers to abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins called prion proteins that are found most abundantly in the brain. The functions of these normal prion proteins are still not completely understood. The abnormal folding of the prion proteins leads to brain damage and the characteristic signs and symptoms of the disease. Prion diseases are usually rapidly progressive and always fatal.
Listed below are the prion diseases identified to date. Click the linked diseases to go to their respective topic sites. CDC does not currently offer information here on every prion disease listed.
Human Prion Diseases
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD)
Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Syndrome
Fatal Familial Insomnia
Kuru
Animal Prion Diseases
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
Scrapie
Transmissible mink encephalopathy
Feline spongiform encephalopathy
Ungulate spongiform encephalopathy
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage on this subject.
For more Food: videos, click here
North Carolina Salmonella Outbreak Under Investigation
29 with possible Paratyphi B infection
33 Sickened After Attending Health Center Luncheon In Pueblo
At least 33 people became ill after attending the Pueblo Community Health Center’s annual luncheon on Tuesday, according to health officials in Pueblo, Colo.
“We don’t know what it is yet,” said Sarah Joseph, a spokeswoman for the Pueblo City-County Health Department. Health officials are trying determine whether the source was environmental or foodborne, she said.
Those who became ill reported gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea and abdominal cramping that lasted for 24 hours. So far, 77 of the 80 attendees have been interviewed and samples from those who became ill have been sent to the state lab in Denver, said Joseph. “We’re hoping to know more next week.”
Hepatitis A in Des Moines, Iowa
Food Poisoning Bulletin recently received an email from a person who was diagnosed with hepatitis A in Des Moines, Iowa. That disease is spread by contaminated food and person-to-person contact, so it’s very possible that more people are sick.
Hepatitis A is irritation and swelling of the liver, caused by the hepatitis A virus. The virus comes from the feces and blood of an infected person, and it is shed from the body two to four weeks before the symptoms manifest, and during the first week of the illness.
Human beings are the only natural host of the virus. It replicates in the liver, moves through the blood and is present in feces. Most adults display symptoms of the disease, while children are usually asymptomatic.
The virus is contagious and is spread in several ways: through food contaminated with feces, if a person who has the virus doesn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom then touches food or another object, or if you touch stools or blood of an infected person.
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Recalls
Diamond Pet Foods Expands Dry Dog Food Recall
Soybean Sprouts Recalled Due to Listeria
Soybean Sprouts from Henry’s Farm Inc. of Woodford, VA are being recalled because of possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, according to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The following products are being recalled:…..
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Articles of Interest
Scientist Defends Research on Heavy Metals in Oysters
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