Remixxing the mainstream news one blog post at a time from the shores of Venice Beach. News, politics & conspiracy theories about world issues. All posts are opinions meant to foster comment, reporting, teaching & study under the "fair use doctrine" in Sec. 107 of U.S. Code Title 17. No statement of fact is made or should be implied. Ads appearing on this blog are solely the product of Blogger.com and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Remixx World!
The sourced article is from 1999 which was a time before I was blogging on the Internets. Therefore, I completely missed this article. However, I am continually scouring the bowels of the Internet for the stories both past and present to see what deserves the ol' Remixx World! treatment.
The firm running the canteen at Monsanto's pharmaceuticals factory at High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, serves only GM-free meals, Friends of the Earth said. In a notice in the canteen, Sutcliffe Catering, owned by the Granada Group, said it had taken the decision "to remove, as far as practicable, GM soya and maize from all food products served in our restaurant. We have taken the above steps to ensure that you, the customer, can feel confident in the food we serve."
As far as I know, I have never had raw milk*. However, I have heard many stories about its alleged benefits. Personally, I have never liked the pasteurized milk in the grocery stores (except in Frosted Flakes), because it just always seemed weird to drink the liquid from another animal. Nevertheless, there are numerous arguments on both the pros and cons of milk and I won't go into them here. However, the Harvard Food Law Society will host a debate where people will discuss these things. If I lived near Harvard, I would have to go check this one out.
Please note that the below press release was released by attorney Fred Pritzker (or someone representing him) and for disclosure purposes of this blog article, Pritzker is anti-raw milk.
Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker will be participating in a debate about raw milk at Harvard Law School on February 16, 2012. He and Dr. Heidi Kassenborg will be arguing that raw milk is an unsafe product.
Food safety attorney Fred Pritzker has been invited to participate in a raw milk debate sponsored by Harvard Law School’s Food Law Society. Pritzker, senior partner at PritzkerOlsen, P.A. and Dr. Heidi Kassenborg, Director, Dairy & Food Inspection Division, Minnesota Department of Agriculture will be debating the dangers of raw milk consumption. Opposing them will be Sally Fallon Morell, President, Weston A. Price Foundation, and David Gumpert, Author, The Raw Milk Revolution, both leading raw milk proponents.
The debate is scheduled to be held on February 16 at Harvard Law School in the Langdell South classroom at 7:15 pm. The event is open to the public.
*Please note that in the United States of America, a green top represents buttermilk and not raw milk. The above photo is a file photo of a "green-top" milk bottle (for raw, unpasteurized milk) from the United Kingdom.
Why is the United States' government developing aluminum-resistant genetics? The patent (US# 7,582,809) says that the purpose of the technology is to aid in areas where soil has been contaminated with aluminum. I personally think that this seed technology might also used for "chemtrail" fallout - fallout that is alleged to contain aluminum. Aluminum toxicity would decimate the organic markets, because organic seeds will not contain this aluminum-resistance gene. If aluminum toxicity increases, then it might be required of farmers to license this genetic technology in order to plant seeds that will survive in the aluminum-rich soils.
The technology appears to use cloned sorghum to create the necessary genes for geneticists to modify other food crops to be aluminum resistant.
This invention relates to a major aluminum tolerance gene, SbMATE (for Sorghumbicolor ember of the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporter family), that is responsible for AltSB locus (for aluminum tolerance in Sorghum bicolor), cloned from sorghum along with its native promoter and regulatory regions, a construct containing a gene and a constitutive promoter, a vector containing the construct, and a method of transforming a plant utilizing the construct and vector, and plants, including staple crop plans, transformed with the gene construct having increased tolerance to aluminum toxicity.
I didn't know what SbMATE was, but a little research revealed a typical story of the Western World allegedly stealing rights of the Third World. In this case, it is patent rights derived from a gene in sorghum, a crop in Tanzania. For further reading, check out The SbMATE Patent: American Ingenuity or Looting of a Tanzanian Resource?
Sorghum bicolor major aluminum tolerance (SbMATE) gene • Isolated from sorghum • Enables plants to grow normally in aluminum‐ rich soil, which is normally toxic to crops – aluminum toxicity is one of the primary limitations for crop production in developing countries – crops such as wheat, rice, and maize are unable to grow in aluminum‐rich soil because aluminum in such soil takes a chemical form that is toxic to them
If you want to read the full government file on this patent (including file wrappers), click here for the USPTO link. If that link is not working, then simply do a search on this page for patent #7,582,809.
I cannot find the original source at Sysco where this PDF originates, so I cannot confirm with 100% accuracy that this is a genuine Sysco document. Nevertheless, the alleged text of the document:
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ALL OF OUR GROWERS HAVE INVOKED THE ACT OF GOD CLAUSE ON OUR CONTRACTS DUE TO THE FOLLOWING RELEASE. WE WILL BE CONTACTING YOU PERSONALLY TO REVIEW HOW THIS WILL AFFECT OUR CONTRACTED ITEMS WITH YOU GOING FORWARD.
THE DEVASTATING FREEZE IN MEXICO IS WORST FREEZE IN OVER 50 YEARS…
THE EXTREME FREEZING TEMPERATURES HIT A VERY BROAD SECTION OF MAJOR GROWING REGIONS IN MEXICO, FROM HERMOSILLO IN THE NORTH ALL THE WAY SOUTH TO LOS MOCHIS AND EVEN SOUTH OF CULIACAN. THE EARLY REPORTS ARE STILL COMING IN BUT MOST ARE SHOWING LOSSES OF CROPS IN THE RANGE OF 80 TO 100%.
EVEN SHADE HOUSE PRODUCT WAS HIT BY THE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPS. IT WILL TAKE 7-10 DAYS TO HAVE A CLEARER PICTURE FROM GROWERS AND FIELD SUPERVISORS, BUT THESE GROWING REGIONS HAVEN’T HAD COLD LIKE THIS IN OVER A HALF CENTURY. THIS TIME OF YEAR, MEXICO SUPPLIES A SIGNIFICANT PERCENT OF NORTH AMERICA’S ROW CROP VEGETABLES SUCH AS: GREEN BEANS, EGGPLANT, CUCUMBERS, SQUASH, PEPPERS, ASPARAGUS, AND ROUND AND ROMA TOMATOES.
FLORIDA NORMALLY IS A MAJOR SUPPLIER FOR THESE ITEMS AS WELL BUT THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN STRUCK WITH SEVERE FREEZE DAMAGE IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY AND UP UNTIL NOW HAVE HAD TO PURCHASE PRODUCT OUT OF MEXICO TO FILL THEIR COMMITMENTS, THAT IS NO LONGER AND OPTION.
WITH THE SERIES OF WEATHER DISASTERS THAT HAS OCCURRED IN BOTH OF THESE MAJOR GROWING AREAS WE WILL EXPERIENCE IMMEDIATE VOLATILE PRICES, EXPECTED LIMITED AVAILABILITY, AND MEDIOCRE QUALITY AT BEST. THIS WILL NOT ONLY HAVE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON SUPPLIES, BUT BECAUSE OF VERY STRONG BLOSSOM DROPS, THIS WILL ALSO IMPACT SUPPLIES 30 – 60 DAYS FROM NOW.
SOME GROWERS ARE MEETING WITH THEIR BOARDS RIGHT NOW TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY SHOULD IMMEDIATELY RE-PLANT, HOPING FOR A HARVEST BY LATE-MARCH-TO-EARLY-APRIL, OR WHETHER THEY SHOULD DISC THE FIELDS UNDER AND WAIT FOR ANOTHER SEASON.
You can read the full report from Food Standards Agency by viewing the above document. However, if you want a summary, basically, the U.K. government agency responsible for food standards has stated that food from cloned animals is no different than food from regular, traditionally-bred animals. Therefore, no labeling of food from cloned animals is necessary.
The European Commission has proposed a temporary five-year ban on food and drink from clones but papers released by the Food Standards Agency indicate that Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman believes this is unnecessary.
An expert committee has advised the food watchdog that products from cloned cows and pigs and their descendants are no different from those from traditionally-bred animals, posing no additional risk to human health.
I would bet that cloned animals are already in the food distribution system.
I certainly hope this is not true, because it would mean that I will have to limit my orange consumption in the near future. I don't know if I want to be eating some Franken-Orange or drinking Franken-juice. Read on for the full press release
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News from the National Academies
Read Full Report
Date: March 23, 2010 Contacts: Jennifer Walsh, Media Relations Officer Alison Burnette, Media Relations Assistant Office of News and Public Information 202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu
WASHINGTON -- Urgency, cooperation, and persistent management are needed among producers, processors, government officials, and scientists while solutions are developed and implemented to combat the citrus greening disease threatening Florida citrus production, says a new report from the National Research Council. Requested by the Florida Department of Citrus, the report lays out a strategic plan to control citrus greening and develop a comprehensive solution to diseases that damage citrus crops.
First detected in Florida in 2005, citrus greening is a deadly bacterial disease that affects all citrus varieties and is spread by an insect, the Asian citrus psyllid. Trees infected with the disease have yellow shoots; blotchy leaf color; reduced amount of fruit; and fruits that are abnormally small, lopsided, or "off" in flavor. After infection, the first symptoms may appear in six to 18 months, with relatively fast progression of the disease throughout an orchard. As the severity of the disease increases, citrus yield drops and could make the orchard's production uneconomical in seven to 10 years after planting. The committee that wrote the report found that citrus greening and measures taken to control it reduced Florida orange juice production by several percent by 2008, and losses will likely increase.
Although there is no cure, three-pronged programs have demonstrated some effectiveness in areas not yet severely affected by the disease, but the number of infected citrus trees in Florida continues to rise. The programs rely on production of mandated propagation material in insect-proof facilities, reduction of the Asian citrus psyllid populations, and visual identification and prompt removal of infected trees. To be effective, this program must be continued vigorously, even if the number of infected trees increases in the first years of the program. However, if the disease advances rapidly and more than a few percent of the trees in a grove must be removed every year, production will not be sustainable in today's citrus industry, the committee concluded.
The most powerful long-term management tool likely will be the cultivation of citrus trees resistant to the bacteria that cause citrus greening and to the Asian citrus psyllid, the committee said. Genetic engineering holds the greatest hope for generating trees with these traits. If bacteria-infected trees can be found and removed sooner than through visual detection, the number of infected Asian citrus psyllids and spread of the disease should drop significantly. The committee recommended research to identify indicators that could more efficiently detect infected citrus trees, especially those that may not show symptoms. Orchard test plots consisting of infected trees that show no symptoms, as well as ones with symptoms, also should be established to evaluate new scouting and therapeutic methods.
Until these approaches can be implemented, the report lays out other high-priority actions that could sustain citrus production, including:
creating "citrus management areas" in Florida to facilitate mitigation of citrus greening and other threats to citrus production,
integrating efforts to improve insecticide control of the Asian citrus psyllid,
expanding extension efforts that emphasize removal of infected trees in groves, and
encouraging homeowners to remove backyard citrus trees, particularly trees infected with citrus greening.
The committee also found that greater use of insecticide sprays, as currently required for successful suppression of the Asian citrus psyllid population, runs the risk of the insect developing resistance to the insecticides, the number of beneficial insects decreasing, and the groundwater being contaminated. More information on Asian citrus psyllid behavior and citrus greening disease are needed to improve the insect's suppression, and research should aim to develop alternative Asian citrus psyllid management strategies.
The incursion of citrus greening disease has been more effective than any prior event in bringing industry, government, and universities together in the defense of citrus production in Florida, the committee stated. However, unifying research efforts on the national and international levels, with an emphasis on strategic planning, would probably produce usable results to help mitigate citrus greening disease more rapidly. Information transfer could be enhanced by establishing an annual international research meeting and increasing Internet-accessible data banks. Coordination of research funding and project monitoring could be improved by allowing an organization, preferably an existing one, to have oversight responsibility for research and development efforts. In addition, an analysis of the economic impacts of citrus greening disease, including a cost-benefit analysis and the potential of new technological developments, should also be completed.
The report was sponsored by the Florida Department of Citrus. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are independent, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under an 1863 congressional charter. Committee members, who serve pro bono as volunteers, are chosen by the Academies for each study based on their expertise and experience and must satisfy the Academies' conflict-of-interest standards. The resulting consensus reports undergo external peer review before completion. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org/studycommitteprocess.pdf. A committee roster follows.
Copies of STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE FLORIDA CITRUS INDUSTRY: ADDRESSING CITRUS GREENING DISEASE are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at HTTP://WWW.NAP.EDU. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above).
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL Division on Earth and Life Studies Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources
COMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE FLORIDA CITRUS INDUSTRY: ADDRESSING CITRUS GREENING DISEASE
GEORGE BRUENING 1 (CHAIR) Professor Emeritus Department of Plant Pathology University of California Davis
JOSEPH-MARIE BOVE Professor Emeritus Genomique Diversite Pourvoir Pathogene Universite Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2 France
PAUL CITRON 2 Vice President Technology Policy and Academic Relations Medtronic Inc. (retired) New Brighton, Minn.
PHILIP W. MILLER Vice President for U.S. Product Management Monsanto Co. St. Louis
LOWELL R. NAULT Professor Emeritus Department of Entomology Ohio State University Wooster
MARYLOU L. POLEK Vice President of Operations California Citrus Research Board Visalia
HOWARD-YANA SHAPIRO Global Director Plant Science and External Research Mars Inc. Davis, Calif.
ANTHONY M. SHELTON Professor and International Professor Department of Entomology Cornell University Geneva, N.Y.
LAVERN W. TIMMER Professor Emeritus Citrus Research and Education Center University of Florida Lake Alfred
JAMES H. TUMLINSON III 1 Ralph O. Mumma Professor of Entomology, and Director Department of Entomology Center for Chemical Ecology Pennsylvania State University University Park
RAYMOND K. YOKOMI Research Plant Pathologist Crop Diseases, Pests, and Genetics Research Unit U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Parlier, Calif.
I didn't say the previous statement. That statement was allegedly made by Henry Kissinger. I cannot say the below emergency food guidance program has a nefarious purpose. However, despite its private nature, the program's State-affiliation gives Pennsylvania the opportunity to control the food system through the State's private food merchants and retailers in cases of emergencies.
MEDIA CONTACT: Monday, December 6, 2010 Randy St. John; (717) 760‐5912
Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association and Pennsylvania Convenience Store Council Partner with Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture On Emergency Preparedness Guidance
Emergency Preparedness and Response Guidance Created for Emergency Managers, Wholesale Distributors and Retail Food Merchants
CAMP HILL – The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA) and Pennsylvania Convenience Store Council (PCSC) have partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) to create Emergency Preparedness and Response Guidance for wholesale distributors and retail food merchants that can be leveraged during times of emergency.
This guidance establishes a foundation upon which Pennsylvania’s food distribution network and PDA as well as the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) can build an ongoing and mutually beneficial relationship. This state‐level initiativeassists with on‐going efforts between the private food sector and county and local emergency authorities.
In times of emergency, supplies such as rapidly distributable food, over‐the‐counter (OTC) drugs and pharmaceuticals, as well as other consumer products, are critical, and depending on the scope of the emergency, can also be in short supply. Keeping our critical distribution systems moving in an emergency maintains stability, public health and confidence for the state’s 12 million residents.
PFMA and PCSC members understand that the mission of PDA, and ultimately PEMA, is to ensure the safety of its citizens by working to develop and coordinate a unified, all‐hazards planning and response effort for any emergency event.
In April 2008, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture began the process of drafting the document. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Guidance for Pennsylvania’s food retailers and wholesale distributors was approved for dissemination in November.
“When disaster strikes, the food system is often impacted, therefore partnerships built before a disaster strikes are key to the state’s short and long‐term response and recovery and PDA’s work on this project was essential in creating the guidance,” said Randy St. John, senior vice president of Association Services at PFMA.
This Emergency Preparedness and Response Guidance details the appropriate processes, procedures and communication protocols that the state can use to integrate the private food distribution sector into a coordinated all‐hazards emergency response plan by:
Utilizing procedures and communication protocols to support real‐time, two‐way sharing of situational awareness and incident management between the private fooddistribution sector and state government during an incident of state or national significance. Situational awareness may include but is not limited to: power outage projections; major road closure information; critical weather service alerts; and general two‐way coordination;
Streamlining paperwork for calls for emergency assistance and Hours of Service (HoS) waivers;
Conducting coordinated response plan training with private food sector, emergency response and sector specific agencies at the state, county and local levels and more.
The Emergency Preparedness and Response Guidance is available to any food retailer or distributor in Pennsylvania. The guidance is not limited to the PFMA and PCSC membership. To request copies of the guidance and to get involved in the two‐way communication network, please contact Annette Knapp at aknapp@pfma.net.
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association/Pennsylvania Convenience Store Council is a statewide trade association representing more than 1,100 retail food and convenience stores, wholesale distributors and other associated business members throughout Pennsylvania.
Public Health taking steps to reduce the risk of the illness spreading
LOS ANGELES – Today the Department of Public Health announced that an employee of Jerry’s Deli in Westwood, located at 10925 Weyburn Ave., has been diagnosed with acute hepatitis A. The hepatitis A virus is spread by close physical contact and through fecal contamination of food or drink, so Public Health recommends that patrons who ate sandwiches at the restaurant or who ate catered sandwiches from this location on November 18, 21, 23 or 24 should receive an immune globulin (IG) shot or a hepatitis A vaccination no later than 14 days after their exposure to prevent or reduce illness.
“So far, we have not received notice of any cases resulting from exposure at this establishment, and the risk of transmission from this patient is considered low,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer. “We are actively investigating the situation and working with the management of Jerry’s Deli to prevent any possible spread of the disease.” Health officials recommend that patrons who ate hot or cold sandwiches at the Westwood location of Jerry’s Deli or who ate catered sandwiches from this location on the dates specified above receive an IG shot or hepatitis A vaccination to prevent or reduce illness. No other food or drink is considered to be at risk. IG is a shot of concentrated antibodies made from donated blood, providing temporary protection; while the hepatitis A vaccine helps your body develop its own antibodies, providing longer-lasting protection.
Shots must be received within 14 days of exposure in order to reduce or prevent illness. Only those patrons ate sandwiches at the restaurant or who ate catered sandwiches from this location on November 18, 21, 23 or 24 need to take steps to protect their health.
Please note that only the Westwood branch of Jerry’s Deli is affected by this Health Alert.
Persons who have been vaccinated against hepatitis A or have received IG within the last three months or have ever had laboratory confirmed infection with the hepatitis A virus also do not need an injection of IG.
Affected residents are encouraged to seek IG or vaccine through their personal physicians. The Department of Public Health will make IG and vaccine available through certain clinics through December 8. A list of these Public Health clinics, dates and locations can be found on the DPH website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov or by calling the LA County Info line at 211 from any landline or cell phone within the county.
Persons who had sandwiches from Jerry’s Deli in Westwood between November 12 and November 17 may have been exposed to hepatitis A but it is too late to receive IG or vaccine to prevent illness. If you experience any of the symptoms of hepatitis A, please contact your doctor. There is no risk to any person who ate food prepared after November 24. Signs and symptoms of hepatitis A
Persons who had sandwiches from Jerry’s Deli in Westwood between November 12 and November 17, or those who had sandwiches between November 18 and November 24 and did not receive a protective shot, may develop hepatitis A. The incubation period for hepatitis A is two to seven weeks. If you may have been exposed, watch for the following symptoms:
jaundice (a yellow color to the eyes or skin)
nausea
loss of appetite
vomiting
fever
abdominal cramps
dark-colored urine
fatigue and light-colored bowel movements
If you experience these symptoms, contact your physician.
Close contacts, including household and sexual partners, are at risk for acquiring hepatitis A from an infected person. It is important to be diagnosed promptly to ensure that treatments with IG or vaccine are effective. Routine vaccination and thorough handwashing with soap and hot water after using the toilet and before handling food are the most effective factors in preventing the spread of the disease.
The Department of Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 4,000 employees and has an annual budget exceeding $750 million. To learn more about Public Health and the work we do, please visit http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov, visit our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/lapublichealth, or follow us on Twitter: LAPublicHealth.
For any of my readers who drink Diet Coke and/or other products containing aspartame, please read below about what ants do with aspartame. Ants avoid the stuff. I would avoid aspartame too - or whatever it's being called these days (AminoSweet).
Check out Relfe.com to see some photographs of what the ants did when they encountered an aspartame and honey mixture.
I had heard of a woman who made up ant poison from aspartame, and since we in Florida were being invaded by ants, I decided to make up some ant poison of my own. I decided the best way to get them to eat it was by mixing it with raw honey. I mixed roughly 3 or 4 parts raw honey to 1 part aspartame and put it out in a toy baby saucer for them.
Sure enough, pretty soon, the saucer was FULL of dead ants.
Later on, I put a small amount straight onto the floor. But this time, I got quite a shock when later on I glanced at the mixture. The ants had done something VERY strange to it!
You will see in the above picture that the ants COVERED UP the aspartame mixture! Presumably as a warning to other ants - "Stay away from this! It kills you!"
I am utterly speechless. So now a person can't go see a maple syrup tour? What's next? A beer factory tour? A farm? A port? This is just another example of a clueless government in my opinion.
Recently however, the company, the largest maple syrup wholesaler in the nation, had to shutter the tour as a result of “food-defense” concerns that have sprouted since terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., nearly nine years ago...
But post-9/11 guidelines developed by the Department of Homeland Security and Food and Drug Administration have shaped the voluntary food-safety standards that companies like Maple Grove must meet in order to sell their wares to major retailers.
The online customer database of a New Zealand-headquartered pizza store chain has been compromised.
Risky.Biz understands multiple intruders have compromised Hell Pizza's 400mb database. While it does not contain any credit card information, it does contain in excess of 230,000 rows of customer entries.
The company operates 64 stores in New Zealand, three in England, nine in Australia and one in Ireland.
We have been approached by a party claiming to be in possession of customer details from the previous Hell website which is no longer in operation. The samples that we received included details of four customers from 2006, including phone numbers and email addresses and order information. We can confirm that credit card data was not at risk as this is held independently on a secure banking website.
Whilst we are still investigating the matter, we can confirm that the information was obtained without our knowledge and we have approached the New Zealand Police with a view to lodging a formal complaint. Hell recognises the importance of protecting customer information and additional security measures were implemented earlier this year when our new website was rolled out (again, we reiterate that this is not an issue affecting the new website). As a further security measure you may wish to consider changing your passwords on other sites if they were the same as the old Hell Pizza website.
We apologise for the incident and any inconvenience that this may have caused.
Sincerely,
Stu McMullin - Director Hell Pizza
We acknowledge that some of you have asked to be removed from the database and we have included you for the purposes of this notification.
Canada imports peppers from countries known to have been affected by the so-called false codling moth and tomatoes from countries known to be dealing with the tomato leaf miner. Those pests can cause severe economic damage to American agriculture.
Bringing the tomatoes and peppers across the border in passenger bags and vehicles is prohibited. Sliced tomatoes and peppers entering from Canada may be imported following Customs and Border Protection agriculture inspection.
Bees pollinate a lot of our crops. Bees are dying off at staggering rates from year to year, especially in New Jersey. Who's going to pollinate our crops?
The honeybee population in New Jersey continues to decline at an alarming rate: 35 percent of managed colonies didn't survive the past winter, according to a survey by the New Jersey Beekeepers Association. That decline follows losses of 35 percent over the winter of 2008-09 and 17 percent in 2007-08, according to the association's Janet A. Katz.
Yikes! Corexit contains arsenic, but yet there is no current test for Corexit in fish and other seafood. I have really been a seafood fan, and with this news, that will not likely change anytime in the near future.
But all of these tests are only for oil compounds. Turns out no one is testing these fish for possible contamination by that controversial dispersant, Corexit.
(on camera): Diepoxybutane, I believe it's called, one of the -- one of the particularly toxic chemicals in the Corexit. You can't -- there's no chemical test being done right now?
STEIN: There's no -- there's not a chemical test for that right now.
GUPTA (voice-over): What? No test? So how can the guarantee of safety be complete? We decided to dig deeper to clarify.
NOAA says, in an abundance of caution, they're currently developing a chemical test for dispersants. It just isn't ready yet. And it can't come soon enough for the millions of people who want to eat these fish and those who make a living catching them.
For the full transcript of the above video, click here.
When local Columbus Sportsmen's Club member Shannon Burau went to Short Creek last Friday morning to mow the campground in preparation for the big weekend, he discovered what he described as a sickening scene.
"It just made me ill. The whole shoreline was pretty much solid with dead fish and it was stinking like a lagoon," said Burau. "It was just a disaster, a disaster. I've never seen anything like it."
...The water was the color of tea on Friday and now (Wednesday) is like black, black coffee and getting darker every day."
Make sure to scroll through the whole article, so you will see another likely cause - oil!
An oily film could be seen floating on top of much of the reservoir Wednesday morning. Where the water had receded, shoreline vegetation was black in color. A sulfur-like smell was in the air.
USDA Recall Classifications Class I - This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.
FSIS-RC-043-2010 HEALTH RISK: HIGH
Congressional and Public Affairs (202) 720-9113 Atiya Khan
WASHINGTON, July 2, 2010 - Rocky Mountain Natural Meats, a Henderson, Colo. establishment, is recalling approximately 66,000 pounds of ground and tenderized steak bison products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
FSIS became aware of the problem during the course of an on-going investigation into a cluster of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses in Colorado with illness onset dates between June 4, 2010 and June 9, 2010. Working in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the New York Department of Health, 5 case-patients have been identified in Colorado as well as 1 case-patient in New York with an indistinguishable PFGE pattern. FSIS determined that there is an association between the ground bison products and the cluster of illnesses in the state of Colorado. FSIS is continuing to work with the CDC, affected state public health partners, and the company on the investigation. Anyone with signs or symptoms of foodborne illness should contact a health care provider.
* 16-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL GROUND BISON.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 21, June 22 or June 24, 2010. * 16-ounce packages of “NATURE’S RANCHER GROUND BUFFALO.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 22, 2010. * 16-ounce packages of “THE BUFFALO GUYS ALL NATURAL GROUND BUFFALO 90% LEAN.” These products have a lot number of 0147. * 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON STEAK MEDALLIONS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 23 and June 24, 2010 * 12-ounce packages of “GREAT RANGE BRAND ALL NATURAL BISON SIRLOIN STEAKS.” These products have a “sell or freeze by” date of June 20, June 23 and June 24, 2010 * 15-pound boxes of “ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATURAL MEATS, INC. BISON 10 OZ SIRLOIN STEAK.” These products went to restaurants and bear a Julian Code of 0141.
The products subject to recall bear the establishment number “EST. 20247” inside the USDA mark of inspection. These products were produced between the dates of May 21, 2010 through May 27, 2010, and were distributed to retail establishments nationwide and food service distributors in Utah and Arizona. While the sell-by dates for these products have passed, FSIS and the establishment are aware that consumers may also freeze the product before use and there is concern that some product may still be frozen and in consumers’ freezers. When available, the retail distribution list(s) will be posted on FSIS' Website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FSIS_Recalls/Open_Federal_Cases/index.asp.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and in the most severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. Individuals concerned about an illness should contact a physician.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers (including restaurants) of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.
FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen, and only consume ground bison that has been cooked to a temperature of 160° F. The only way to be sure ground bison is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria is to use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature.
Media and consumer questions regarding the recall should be directed to the company’s spokesperson, Chuck Sanger at (800) 325-4164.
Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at www.AskKaren.gov. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
Current revisions to the closure, described below, will be effective on June 28, 2010 at 6 p.m. eastern time (5 p.m. central time). All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in the closed area; however, transit through the area is allowed.
The Food and Drug Administration is seriously considering whether to approve the first genetically engineered animal that people would eat — salmon that can grow at twice the normal rate.
AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. (AIM: ABTX), a biotechnology company focused on enhancing productivity in the aquaculture market, announces progress on their pending New Animal Drug Application (“NADA”) for AquAdvantage® Salmon (“AAS”) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Company confirms that it has received two further letters from the Center for Veterinary Medicine (“CVM”) advising that they have completed their review on sections four and five of the seven sections of the application. These two recent letters indicate acceptance of the AAS data supporting the durability of its genotype and phenotype, showing that the product is stable and unchanged over multiple generations.
The Company believes that the reviews for the remaining two parts of the application are very nearly complete. As reported previously, all technical submissions necessary for the review and approval of the product have been made and acknowledged. Management has worked constructively with CVM’s reviewers to answer all questions and is confident of a successful outcome in the near future.
Following formal acceptance of the remaining two technical sections, it is expected that CVM will announce the holding of a Veterinary Medical Advisory Committee meeting on AAS as the next step in their formal process for approval of the product.
For further information, please contact: AquaBounty Technologies +1 781 899 7755 David Frank, Chief Financial Officer
I don't recall the day President Obama received a science or biology degree, but nevertheless, the President has declared that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is safe to eat. I guess people shouldn't be worried about the oil, gases and Corexit 9500 / 9527, but I think I will pass. There is no way I will be eating Gulf seafood from contaminated waters any time soon.
In a newly optimistic tone, President Barack Obama promised Monday that "things are going to return to normal" along the stricken Gulf Coast and the region's fouled waters will be in even better shape than before the catastrophic BP oil spill.
He declared Gulf seafood safe to eat and said his administration is redoubling inspections and monitoring to make sure it stays that way.