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Clinton Presents New Worthless Biotech Regulations The Clinton administration announced on May 3 a series of new steps for the regulation of biotech foods that would require companies to notify the FDA at least four months in advance of releasing new genetically engineered ingredients, and to disclose their research data with the government agency. For the past eight years, this information has been provided on a voluntary basis. The regulations would also include a formal process for reviewing gene-altered crops and standardized requirements for food producers to follow in labeling products. In addition to the FDA regulations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin certifying new scientific tests that detect the presence of genetic engineering in food. The tests will be conducted to ensure that all food labeled biotech-free meets the same standards. Although the food industry has applauded the plan as fair, it falls far short of what many critics had hoped for, for example, requiring mandatory labeling for all products containing biotech ingredients and additional, more long-term testing of crops. In addition to this, critics say that the regulations do not go far enough to study the long-term impact biofoods have on human health and the environment. " Consumers want genetically engineered foods to be safety tested and to be labeled. This plan does not require either," said Rebecca Goldburg, a senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund. "Requiring biotechnology companies to consult with the FDA does not guarantee consumer protection." n the meantime, governors from 13 states are joining the biotech industry in a $50 million advertisement campaign to counter criticism of the technology. The Governors Biotechnology Partnership is an effort to persuade the public of the alleged benefits and safety of genetically engineered crops. The governors are from North Dakota, Iowa, Idaho, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Delaware, North Carolina and Washington. "I don't think they are doing their farmers or consumers any benefit by promoting a technology that hasn't proven to be safe," said Charles Margulies, a spokesperson for Greenpeace.
We just received word from Robert Cohen, dairy industry critic extraordinaire, that a new "super" antibiotic has been developed by Monsanto and approved by the FDA. The antibiotic, known as Zyvox, was developed to treat staph infections that are resistant to other antibiotics. Many people who consume a lot of dairy have become immune to antibiotics because there is such a high percentage of this drug in milk. Milk tested in the New York metropolitan area, for example, was found to contain residues from 52 different antibiotics. Why is Monsanto's involvement in the development of Zyvox significant? Because as the manufacturers of recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), they've had a major role in increasing the amount of antibiotics allowed into milk. Dairy cows are fed a lot of antibiotics to combat the sores and ulcers - known as mastitis - they get on their udders because of the massive amount of milk they are forced to produce. Because of the revolving door between big business and the government, one of Monsanto's top scientists, Margaret Miller, was able to accept a position with the FDA and change the amount of antibiotics allowable in milk from one part per hundred million to one part per million. This is an increase of 100 times of what was formerly permissible. Now that the FDA approved Zyvox, pharmaceutical industry analysts project that Monsanto is poised to earn $550,000,000 in sales during the next twelve months. As Robert Cohen pointed out, Monsanto created this poison, and now they stand to become even wealthier from the antidote.
Results of 12 Year JAMA Study - Eat More Plants, Live Longer A 12-year study of the eating habits of more than 42,000 women has found that those who eat the most fruits, vegetables and whole grains have a dramatic reduction in the likelihood of dying from cancer, heart disease or stroke. Using the government-funded Food Pyramid as a guide, researchers found that those who ate the most from the lowest tiers of the Pyramid attained the greatest benefit, a 30 percent reduction in death from all causes. The study, which appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association, assessed the role of diet and nutrition in the lives of the female subjects, whose average age was 61. The women were divided into four groups, depending on how many of the recommended foods they ate, which were primarily fruits, vegetables and grains. Those who ate the fewest number of recommended foods, which was around seven a week, had the highest mortality rate. The mortality rate was then used as the base line to compare the death rates of women who ate a larger quantity of plant foods. There was a significant 18 percent decline in mortality among women who increased their consumption of the recommended foods to 10 a week, and those who ate an average of 12 of the recommended foods a week had a reduction in their mortality rate of 29 percent. Those who averaged even more of the foods decreased their overall death rate by 31 percent. "This is really good news," said Johanna Dwyer, preofessor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University, who served on the dietary guidelines committee. "From this study it looks as though some of the foods that have been recommended may in fact be associated with a decreased risk of mortality in women." Meir Stampfer, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, agreed. "This is an exciting study because it shows that a well-rounded diet, which concentrates on the healthiest foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, can improve health and reduce mortality." Furthermore, Professor Stampfer said that the Food Pyramid should be upgraded to reflect the importance of eating more plant foods. This study comes on the heels of a widely-published report that failed to find any connection to a low-fat, high-fiber diet and a reduction of the risk of colon cancer. Dr. Arthur Schatzkin, chief of the Nutritional Epidemiology Branch of the National Cancer Institute said that the problem with the study was that it was too short and that it only looked at one part of the cancer process. Additionally, it didn?t look at whether a low-fat, high-fiber diet could prevent polyps from from starting in the first place, or if the diet prevented them from advancing to cancer after they have appeared. "You shouldn't toss out fiber based on one study," Schatzkin said. "It's prudent to try and maintain a fiber-rich diet in terms of such foods as vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Perhaps the evidence for simply adding cereal bran to your breakfast is less convincing than that for adopting a broader fiber diet."
Medicare to Try Dr. Ornish's Plan for Critically Ill Senior Citizens In the April 11 edition of the New YorkTimes, journalist Barbara Whitaker wrote about Medicare's first-ever experiment with a lifestyle-modification program, specifically Dr. Dean Ornish's program. Medicare has set out to learn if the plan would work on a large scale and bring down medical costs spent on caring for critically ill elderly people. According to the Institute of Medicine, 86 percent of the estimated 34 million Americans over age 65 have at least one chronic condition like high blood pressure or diabetes that might be helped by nutritional education. Dr. Ornish's program combines a low-fat, vegetarian diet with exercise and meditation. Fat is limited to no more than 10 percent daily, and smoking is not allowed on the program. Werner Hebenstreit, an 85-year-old who had suffered two heart attacks before beginning Ornish's program 14 years ago, takes no heart medication, is robustly energetic, and believes that Ornish's recommendations have saved his life. "At 71, I was convinced I would die very soon. I feel healthier now than when I was 40 years younger." The Medicare experiment with Dr. Ornish's plan is designed to determine whether dramatic changes in lifestyle and eating habits can prevent the need for angioplasty and heart bypass surgery. This interest in Dr. Ornish's plan represents a desire to shift from disease treatment to disease prevention. Over the next three years, about 1,800 elderly heart patients will volunteer to follow the program for one year, run out of at least 15 centers whose staffs are trained by Dr. Ornish. It will cost $7,200 for each patient, which will be paid for by Medicare.This is not a clinical trial; they are interested in seeing whether people who stick with the program cost Medicare less. "The challenge for us is how to modernize Medicare from a medical, acute care model to a comprehensive, health care model emphasizing successful and healthy aging through health promotion and risk factor reduction," said Jeffrey Kang, chief clinical officer with the Health Care Financing Administration, which oversees Medicare. Still, this interest in Dr. Ornish's program has not been without controversy. Officials from the American Heart Association have said that the diet is too restrictive for the average heart patient, and that more information was needed on which parts of the program had the most effect. Dr. Michael Hash, deputy officer of the Health Care Financing Administration, disagrees. "We wouldn't be proceeding to demonstrate this with the Medicare population if we didn't have confidence that it had produced evidence of effectiveness in reducing heart disease. We have determined that it is promising as a possible alternative to bypass surgery." Dr. Ornish began developing his plan, which emphasizes consuming a large variety of whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes, as a medical student 23 years ago. He noticed that patients would be admitted for heart surgery, continue the same lifestyle once they went home, and have to be readmitted for another surgery. "For me that became a metaphor," Dr. Ornish said. "Like mopping up the floor without turning off the faucet."
Between 1988 and 1996, the incidence of hip fractures among women 65 and older has climbed 40 percent, the Centers for Disease Control reported Thursday. The report found that 1 in 3 senior citizens requires hospitilization for a fall each year, with a broken hip the most common and serious injury. Half of those who break a hip do not fully recover physically, often leading them to forfeit their independence and move in to nursing homes. Is it a coincidence that the highest rate of hip fractures and osteoporosis also occurs in the countries with the highest consumption of meat and dairy products? Doesn't milk build strong bones? What the dairy industry has chosen to ignore is that osteoporosis is really a problem of the body losing calcium and not one of insufficient intake. A 1994 report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that when animal proteins were eliminated from the diet, calcium losses were cut in half. A 12-year Harvard study of nearly 78,000 women found that those who drank three or more glasses of milk a day had a higher rate of bone fracture than those who rarely or never drank milk. Similarly, a 1994 study of elderly men and women in Sydney, Australia, showed that those who consumed the most dairy products were more likely to break bones. Those who consumed the most dairy products had approximately double the risk of hip fracture compared to those who consumed the least. The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine recommends getting calcium through plant foods, such as leafy green vegetables like bok choy and mustard greens, and fortified orange juice.
Biotech Leaders Plan a $50 Million Per Year Ad Campaign After years of trying to introduce genetically engineered (GE) foods to the world with a careful mix of stealth, obfuscation, intimidation, bribery, and just plain lies, the leaders of the biotech industry have finally realized that they are forced to confront the rapidly growing opposition to their global experiment head on. Plantings of the major GE crops are down about 24% from last year, and food safety and environmental activists are taking to the streets, the airvaves, and cyberspace in droves with increasing confidence. So now Monsanto and company are pulling out the big guns. A coalition of biotech companies have formed an alliance called the Council for Biotechnology Information which has earmarked $250 million over the next five years to produce television and print advertising to tell the world all about the wonderous benefits of GE fruits, vegetables, and grains. The initial spots have begun airing this week. They feature a vague collection of overproduced, soft-focus sentimentality with homey rural scenes and happy farmers walking around in dreamy slow motion -- apparently attempting to make the point that frankenfoods are not only the solution to world hunger, but also even the salvation of the family farm. So far, biotech opponents don't appear to be terribly fazed by the sudden infusion of marketing muscle by the industry. In fact, most believe that by drawing more attention to GE foods, the campaign could end up producing the opposite of its desired effect. "The nice thing is that consumers are pretty much conerned about biotech foods as soon as they hear about them," says Greenpeace's Charles Margulis. It's worth noting that about the time European resistance to GE foods reached the point where American resistance stands right now, the biotech companies responded with a similar, though more aggresive ad campaign to reassure wary consumers. The move backfired monumentally, and many people believe the industry's own messages brought about the massive protests that have effectively closed all European markets to GE foods. Will the same thing happen here?
Mexico Votes to Label GE Foods In another strike against the biotech industry, the Mexican Senate voted unanimously on March 30 to require the labeling of foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients. Under the Mexican measure, genetically modified foods would be required to bear a label reading "transgenic food", and those products that contain some genetically modified ingredients would be labeled, "Foods made with transgenic products." The measure must still be approved by the lower house of congress before going to the president for his signature. It hurts to be Monsanto.
Yes, it's puny compared to the 15 million pounds of hot dogs and deli meats that the Sara Lee Corp. had to recall in late 1998, but the 34,000 pounds of Ball Park brand hot dogs they're recalling now because of a possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination is nothing to sneeze at. Health authorities said that the 1998 Listeria outbreak killed at least 14 adults, caused six miscarriages and sickened more than 100 people nationwide. The hot dogs were sold to retail establishments and commissaries in Florida, Missouri, New York, Virginia, Ohio, Connecticut, Oklahoma, Delaware, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland. The recall was ordered after a military laboratory detected Listeria in Ball Park hot dogs that had been distributed to an Army commissary. Typically, Sara Lee officials downplayed the seriousness of the contamination. "As far as recalls go, this is very small," said Sara Lee spokeswoman Theresa Herlevsen. Not so, says Edward Jones financial analyst Patrick Schumann. Mr. Schumann said that the recall comes at a time when "the company and industry can least afford it. It's another nail in the coffin."
3,500 Protest Against GMOs in Boston Up to 3,500 protesters demonstrated against genetically engineered food in Boston on March 26, in what organizers call the largest American demonstration against biotech food. In keeping with the street theater established in Chicago's protest during the FDA hearings, several protesters dressed as white-coated, manic scientists with giant syringes and others dressed as monarch butterflies, a very real symbol of what is at stake with our interest in planted genetically engineered seeds. Activists marched through downtown Boston and ended up outside a massive biotechnology industry convention, Bio2000, which expected 7,000 participants. There were no arrests, and a Boston police spokesman said, "Everything was remarkably peaceful." The chief complaint among opponents is that there has not been enough research to prove that genetically altered food is safe to the human body and the health of the environment. There is an additional concern among ethical vegetarians about animal genes being spliced into fruits and vegetables without any labels. Biotech producers and sellers are strongly against mandatory labelling. It is estimated that nearly two thirds of the products carried in U.S. supermarkets contain genetically altered materials. European consumers have been so adamantly opposed to genetically engineered food that the cultivation and sale of such food there has nearly stopped, and American opposition seems to be picking up momentum every day.
Whales Die After Navy Exercises On March 15, eight whales beached themselves and died soon after the U.S. Navy conducted anti-submarine exercises off the northern Bahamas. Although the Navy contended that there was no evidence linking the whale deaths to the sonar detection exercises, marine biologist Ken Balcomb of Earthwatch disagrees. " A whale beaching in the Bahamas is a once-in-a-decade occurrence," said Balcomb. "We will be making recommendations to the Bahamian government that these sort of exercises be terminated. The fact that it coincides with the military exercises cannot just be coincidental." Within two days after the "sonar bouys" tests took place, at least 14 whales had grounded themselves on Abaco, Grand Bahama, to the north and Eleuthera to the south. Of these whales, eight perished. Naomi Rose, marine biologist with the Humane Societies of the United States, maintained that the sonar signals could have caused the deaths. "These signals, depending on frequency, could travel quite a distance and even wrap around the island. One could argue that [the whales] fled the area where the sonar was being transmitted."
Opposition to Genetically Engineered Food Moves Into High Gear
With Lawsuit, Ad Campaign As the biotech industry continues to insist that Americans don't care one way or another about genetically engineered (GE) foods, a growing coalition of food safety, environmental, and consumer groups are gearing up for a spring and summer long campaign to keep the issue in the spotlight. The first salvo was fired March 21, as the Center for Food Safety filed a lawsuit in Washington DC against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require safety testing and labeling of GE foods. By law, this move forces the FDA to open a public comment period during which time consumers are invited to voice their opinions on the issue directly to the FDA. Anti-biotech activists consider this to be the "real comment period", noting that the FDA's recent public comment period took place during the Christmas holiday season - the time of year when prople are traditionally busiest and least likely to respond. There have also been allegations that the FDA gave advance warning to the initial comment peoiod to pro-biotech groups to give them an opportunity to mobilize support. Two other groups are working closely with the Center for Food Safety to pressure the FDA. Boulder, CO-based Citizens for Health and Chicago-based Sustain have sent representives to the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim CA, to gather co-sponsors for the Campaign to Keep Nature Natural, a multimedia advertising and marketing campaign scheduled to run through the spring and summer. Several natural foods manufacturers, retailers, and other groups have already signed onto the proposal which includes posters, handouts, and two seperate websites, and will ultimately include an advertising campaign and kiosks in natural foods stores all over the country. Many of the leaders of the coalition were key players in the Campaign to Keep "Organic" Organic, which helped generate 275,000 responses to a comment period from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that determined the future of organic food. That huge cunsumer response led the USDA to accept virtually every demand of the coalition . The new FDA public comment period is underway, so if you wish to send a letter to the FDA, pleasae include the docket number (Docket No. 00P-1211\CP1) and send to: Commissioner Jane Henney If you are interested in learning more, or in voicing your opinion on mandatory safety testing and labeling of GE foods, visit FoodSafetyNow.org or KeepNatural.org. Also, keep checking back with Vegan Street's Vegan News for the latest developments. Great American Meatout, March 20 The Great American Meatout (March 20th) is the world's largest annual grass-roots dietary education campaign. Thousands of activists across the U.S. and Canada will mark the first day of spring by celebrating the life-enhancing effects of meatless eating and asking friends and neighbors to "kick the meat habit" at information tables, public picnics, and food tastings. Nine billion animals are tortured and killed each year in slaughterhouses, stockyards and factory farms - it's time for those who care to let the rest of the world know. Chicago, March 19, 3111 N. Ashland - The Chicago chapter of EarthSave will be having an educational booth at Healing Earth from 11 am - 7 pm. Stop by and say hello! Also check out the Meatout website for other events across the country.
Two years ago at this time Vegan Street didn't even exist yet, but the future Vegan Street hellraisers were hard at work generating awareness for one of the most brazenly anti-citizen pro-greed documents ever to come out of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The American people were in the middle of a comment period on a set of national organic standards that seemed determined to sell the entire organic industry out to the giant agrichemical companies. 275,000 people were angry enough about the genetically engineered seed, irradiation, factory farming techniques, and toxic sewer sludge that the government was ready to allow into our organic food supply that they wrote vehement diatribes to the USDA voicing their disapproval. Thousands more wrote to political leaders, media, and their local grocery stores. It seems like all our hard work may have paid off. On Tuesday, March 7, the USDA released a much friendlier set of organic standards. Genetic Engineering is out. So is toxic sludge and irradiation. Animals raised for organic meats will have better lives than their factory-farm raised counterparts (though, of course, they will still suffer much more than we at Vegan Street would ever consider allowable). And some of the lesser publicized provisions such as future revisions of the standards and the possiblity of states issuing tougher-yet standards also seem to be favorable to organic consumers. Jim Slama, the president of Sustain: the Environmental Information Group which helped create a bold multimedia campaign protesting the original standards, feels cautiously optimistic about the new standards. "This shows that there is still hope for the democratic process. 275,000 voices stood up against a powerful corporate lobbying machine and won. If we can continue to harness this energy, we'll be able to protect everyone's food from genetic engineering and toxic sludge." One thing is sure. The new standards will be easier to follow than trying to understand the dozens of different sets of state and private standards now in use. Under the new rules, a product would have to contain all organic ingredients to be labeled "100% Organic". Packaged goods containing at least 95% organic ingredients will be able to carry the "Organic" seal. Products with more than 50% organic ingredients can carry a message bearing "Made with organic ingredients." Products with less than 50% organic ingredients can only mention the word organic in the ingredient panel. No product carrying any genetically modified ingredients can be labeled "Organic" on any level. This last point leaves some farmers worried about "drift" of genetically engineered seeds from nearby fields. Hopefully this concern will translate into newer, tougher restrictions on genetically engineered crops across the board. Is this a perfect document? Over the next few days, many farmers, activists, and consumers will pore over the 650 pages of fine print before making final judgment. We'll keep you posted every step of the way. The USDA is opening a public comment period on March 13 that will last until June 14. To comment (after March 13) or view the standards yourself, visit the National Organics Program page of the USDA website.
E.Coli Burgers Anyone? Oh My - I'll Have a Soy Burger Instead! Recent government research certain not to influence any dietary change among vegans shows that about half of the cattle in U.S. feedlots carry the dangerous E. coli bacteria during the summer months. This figure is ten times greater than the government previously thought. The bacteria is most commonly found in ground beef and it kills about 60 people each year, sickening an estimated 73,000 more. Scientists found that 83 percent of the cattle they studied had been exposed to E. coli, which they can pick up during birth or from manure. Just when you think the bottom of the barrel's already been scraped, they manage to dig a little deeper.
"Litter Tax" Takes Aim at Our Disposable Lifestyle An interesting new tax has been imposed on Chicago consumers who chose to carry-out their food from area restaurants. The so-called "litter tax" is a 0.5 percent additional charge on food ordered to go, and it was created in order to reimburse Chicago of the $5 million it spends each year on hiring laborers to clean expressways, vacant lots and commercial strips. The city's target is food that is wrapped or enclosed in paper, plastic, metal or other disposable containers. Most affected would be consumers of fast food, all of whom would pay the litter tax, except for those who order from retailers that don't offer seating, such as McDonald's Express. Although many restauranteurs have expressed an unwillingness to collect the tax, which goes into effect on March 1, Chicago Revenue Director Hugh Murphy said that the city is dead serious about raising the money. "If they'd like to ignore it, we have auditors who work for us. I''ll be very easy for us to determine who is and is not complying. We'll be happy to pay them a visit." At Vegan Street, we applaud this new tax for taking a step to factor in the true cost of the American fast food lifestyle. We foresee more taxes of this nature down the road, as we become more and more aware of how cheap hamburgers incur a larger price tag on the world around us.
On March 2, the government of Mexico and Mitsubishi International Corporation announced that they shelved plans for a contentious saltworks factory that was proposed to be built in Languna San Ignacio in Baja California Sur, which is a breeding ground for the majestic gray whale. Environmental and animal rights activists feared that the salt plant would alter the salinity and temperature of the water, as well as increase noise pollution and the threat of oil spills. Experts say that whales are attracted to the Laguna San Ignacio and three other lagoons in the area because of its higher-than-average salinity, which makes it easier of newborn calves to float to the surface. The lagoons also have a warmer temperatures than usual, which helps insulate the whale calves. Since 1994, Mitsubishi had pushed for building a $120 million salt production plant in the Laguna San Ignacio, which is part of the largest protected area in Latin America, the 6.2 million-acre Vizcaino Desert Biosphere Reserve. Critics charged that if Mexico approved the saltworks facility, it would add fuel to a global trend of multinational corporations exploiting protected natural habitats in developing countries. "We feel elated," said Jared Blumenfeld of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. "We feel that we've managed to protect a magical place forever." James Brumm, president of Mitsubishi International, said that public pressure played a role in their decision to scrap the plan. Mitsubishi had received about 700,000 postcards worldwide protesting the project. Each winter, the gray whales migrate from their feeding holes in the arctic to the warm waters of Laguna San Ignacio. The 12,000 mile round-trip is thought to be the longest migration of any mammal. Jared Blumenfeld saw the ability of activists to defeat the proposed saltworks factory as having a greater significance than just affecting Mitsubishi and the gray whale. "The victory is a sign to corporations worldwide that they need to respect international law."
Be careful this year as you celebrate Meat Out and Earth Day - you could be rubbing shoulders with the Great Beast, at least according to the leading conservative contender to succeed the Pope. Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, the Archbishop of Bologna, asserts that the Antichrist already walks amongst us, in the guise of a prominent philanthropist whose apparent concern for human rights and the environment conceals his true goal: the eradication of Christianity and "the death of God." Cardinal Biffi warned that the seven headed beast described in the Book of Revelations is off target: this time Satan has cleverly disgarded the obvious trappings of all things demonic, and has cloaked himself in a fascinating personality that charms and deceives the righteous. Looking for a way to identify this later-day Lucifer? He espouses vegetarianism, pacifism, environmentalism and animal rights. We better start keeping better company. (PS - If anyone has an inkling as to whom Cardinal Biffi needs to be concerned about, let us know).
In the March-April issue of the Utne Reader, Brad Edmondson wrote of the approved $93.3 million World Bank loan to China that would be earmarked for the development of 130 cattle feedlots and five slaughterhouses. Supporters of the loan claim that it will ease the poverty of small farmers, and that there has be a rising demand for beef among the more affluent Chinese consumers. The loan, however, has its opponents, including the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, as well as health advocates, such as Dr. T. Colin Campbell. Dr. Campbell believes that the loan would be dangerous because it would expose the Chinese, who typically have eaten a diet rich in grains and vegetables, to the foods that often lead to Western-type diseases, such as heart disease and certain cancers. Dr. Campbell, who headed the massive China Diet and Health Project, extrapolated from his data that those who ate a low-fat, primarily plant-based diet had a much lower incidence of the diseases that plague the affluent. Those who lived in more wealthy regions of China, however, consumed more animal products and thus had higher rates of cancer and heart disease. The World Bank loan is also unpopular among anti-globalization activists, who see the loan as a way to further put a Western stamp on the rest of the world, regardless of custom or the country in question's best interest. An interesting point made in the article was that in 1900, approximately 40 percent of deaths in the United States were caused by infectious disease, such as typhoid and pneumonia, while only 16 percent of fatalities were caused by cancer, stroke, or heart disease. By 1973, however, infectious diseases caused just 6 percent of deaths in the United States, while the three "diseases of affluence" had shot up to 58 percent. Health advocates such as Dr. Campbell believe that if China continues to live in a manner that mimics Western habits, the Chinese will begin to die of the same diseases: the diseases of affluence.
Are chickens with sores, tumors, scabs and bruises fit for the school lunch program according to the USDA? You betcha! In fact, dip them in some barbeque sauce, and you can hardly tell. The government reported Thursday that it would allow two Alabama meat processing plants to continue making chicken nuggets out of carcasses that are suspected to be diseased to supply the federal lunch program in 31 states. Some school systems in Oregon, Missouri, Texas and Ohio have tempoarily stopped serving meat produced by the plants, which are owned by Gold Kist Inc. Carol Blake of the USDA did not exactly bolster consumer confidence in the U.S. food supply when she said of the nuggets in question, "It's a safe product. It's not contaminated with a pathogen or anything." Nor did the union of meat inspectors who were quoted in the Associated Press story as saying that while the chicken is unwholesome, it will not hurt anyone. Federal inspectors claim that the diseased birds are being turned into nuggets as a result of of flaws in a new inspection system being tried at the plants, and the union oppses the new system.
Shocking News: Illegal Beef Hormone Found in U.S. Beef USDA Secretary Dan Glickman admitted before a group of European and American consumer advocates that traces of outlawed growth hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES) were detected in samples of exported U.S. beef. DES is a suspected carcinogen that was banned from the U.S. market in 1979; the U.S.D.A. tested meat for DES until 1991, when it was concluded that it was no longer in use and therefore posed no danger to consumers. In July, traces of DES were found in two of 26 samples tested in Switzerland. USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Catherine Woteki said that testing for DES by the Food Safety and Inspection Service would resume in about one month. Obliquely, Undersecretary Woteki added that the decision to resume testing was based on "not only the Swiss findings, but other information that came to us." Bruce Silverglade, legal affairs director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), said that it was likely the DES discovery would further undermine European confidence in American food products, "adding insults to other injuries." CSPI initially brought this issue to public awareness earlier this month when a letter from Secretary Glickman to David Byrne, a top European Union official, was uncovered. In the letter, Glickman admitted to suspicions that DES, which is still legally available to treat companion animals, may be improperly diverted to farm animals.
Vegan Diet Shown to Relieve PMS in Some Women Can a low-fat vegetarian diet relieve symptoms of prementrual syndrome (PMS)? Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physician's for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), says that a recent study confirms that most of the 33 female subjects who maintained a diet without animal products reported that they felt less menstrual pain each month. The study was conducted by Georgetown University Medical Center researchers, and appears this month in Obstetrics and Gynocology magazine. Dr. Barnard says that the women studied saw physical benefits in a month. The subjects were divided into two groups: One ate their normal omnivorous diet and were given placebos, and the other ate a vegan diet. Researchers were testing their theory that if women reduced the fat in their diets, less prostagladin would be produced in thei bodies. Prostagladin, which has been implicated in menstrual pain, is a chemical made from fat traces stored in cell membranes.
The annual labor day pigeon shoot in Hegins, PA has been voluntarily cancelled by its organizers after the unanimous decision last year by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to allow a humane officer jurisdiction to enforce the state's cruelty laws at the shoot. The organizers, the Labor Day Committee, cancelled last year's shoot less than three weeks before the yearly event, but did not indicate at the time whether it would be permanently called off. The announcement has been enthusiastically received by animal advocates worldwide, who hail it as a victory for the thousands of pigeons that will no be senselessly wounded, tortured and killed in Hegins. Said Heidi Prescott, National Director of The Fund for Animals, "This is not only a victory for the pigeons, it is also a victory for the citizens of Hegins. No longer will the town have to endure the stigma of being the 'Cruelty Capitol of the World.' It has been more than a decade in the making, but we have finally seen a victory for Pennsylvania's pigeons." The pigeon shoot drew hundreds of animal killers to Hegins every Labor Day, where they competed for money and prizes by shooting tame birds released from individual boxes. An investigation from The Fund for Animals found that 75 percent of the pigeons were not killed immediately, but were left to suffer from their wounds on the shooting fields. Eventually, "trapper boys" - young children from the area, would collect the wounded and dying birds, killing them by stomping on them, ripping off their heads, banging them against barrels, or throwing them into recepticles to suffocate. The annual pigeon shoot in Hegins each year attracted hundreds of shooters from around the world, who competed for money and prizes by taking aim at thousands of birds, released one at a time from individual boxes. Investigators from The Fund for Animals documented that approximately 75 percent of the birds were not killed immediately, but rather were wounded and left on the shooting fields to suffer from their injuries. Young children known as "trapper boys" routinely collected wounded birds and killed them by stomping on them, ripping off their heads, banging themagainst barrels, or throwing them into barrels to suffocate.Noting that there are still at least five pigeon shoots left in the Pennsylvania, Ms. Prescotts added that, "Now it is time to end this atrocity statewide. We call on the Pennsylvania Legislature to finally address this issue and pass a bill ending all pigeon shoots in the state.
Lyman Verdict Upheld by the Court of Appeals The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appeals court in New Orleans upheld the verdict handed down two years ago by an Amarillo federal jury, restating that EarthSave president Howard Lyman and talk show host Oprah Winfrey did not give false information about Mad Cow Disease, and they did not defame cattle producers. Lyman, the cattle rancher turned vegetarian activist, was sued in 1998 under the constitutionally-murky food disparagement laws, also known as the "veggie libel laws”, which are in effect in thirteen states. The judge in the appeals court ruled that the case could not be appealed under Texas' food disparagement law, and should instead be treated as a business defamation case. The appeals court said that Lyman's claims, that the now-banned practice of including processed cattle parts in feed fed to cattle could spread mad cow disease to people in the United States, were based on facts and as such could not be challenged under business disparagement law. Paul Ensler, the owner of Cactus Feeders Inc., the feedlot that initiated the lawsuit, and Kevin Isern, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, have not decided whether to appeal the verdict. The appeals court refused to rule on the scope of the food disparagement laws, and its dubious constitutionality remains unexamined.
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Sara Lee Poisons Again!
Does Beelzebub Eat Tofu and Commute by Bike? 
Hegins Reign of Atrocity Cancelled Forever
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