Like I posted in a previous post, the recent E.coli outbreak in spinach is most likely linked back to livestock farm animals. The growing suspicion in the below article confirms this theory as a likely possibility. This factor is being ignored by the FDA to protect the billion dollar meat industry.
The FDA claims they don't know where the source of the E.coli is coming from? Sure they do. Livestock farm animals. The problem is the FDA is taking handouts from the billion dollar meat industry. This factor will go ignored to protect the meat industry, and in the process, this cover-up will continue to smear more sustainible and envrionmentally responsible methods of agriculture like the farming of produce.
...This was the 20th outbreak of E. coli 0157:H7 in leafy greens in 10 years, and half had been traced to central California.
“What it does is it raises concerns about what is going on in that environment,” Acheson said. For instance, cattle may need to be kept away from fields where food is grown, and physical barriers may have to be used, he said.
E. coli is a common and usually harmless bacteria found in the guts of animals including people. The 0157:H7 strain can be toxic and is found in the intestines and manure of cattle.
“Having cattle that may or may not be carrying 0157 that are uphill and upstream of a field that is growing a fresh product that is going to be consumed without cooking obviously raises concerns and questions,” Acheson said. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15067012/
The real problem is that over 60 billion farm animals are used each year globally to produce meat, milk and eggs. The majority are raised in industrial farming systems where their welfare needs are not met. In addition to issues of inhumane mis-treatment of animals, live stock contributes to droughts and water shortages due to the fact that over half of our American water supply is used to keep livestock animals going. In addition, the animals are kept in such tight quarters that they are prone to disease. To fight off disease, the farmers inject the animals with all kinds of anti-biotics as well as growth hormones. These chemical agents are then passed on to you in the meat and milk that you consume, which now has a proven link to cancer. Furthermore, cattle ranching is one of the biggest contributors to global warming in two ways. First, it is the direct cause of millions of tons of methane being released into the air produced naturally by animal waste. Secondly, it requires transportation, which uses up oil and gas and puts a lot of exhaust into the air.
What you can do: Eat vegetarian and don't contribute to an industry that misuses animals and destroys the environment. If you can't entirely give up meat now, try cutting it out of your diet for half the week. If every American cut half of their diet down to being vegetarian, our own health as well as the health of the environment would drastically improve. Don't let the spinach contamination scare you (all fresh organic spinach was still ok to eat.) This scare tactic is being used by the meat industry to advance their profits, also indicated by a new aggressive advertising campaign. Let's stop putting big corporate interests over the best interests of our own health and the health of the environment.
