How Much Prodding Will It Take?
Let's start with this: the sheer size of the recall:
The amount of beef—143 million pounds—is roughly enough for two hamburgers for each man, woman and child in the United States.
Then let's add in the fact that a big chunk of the recalled meat went to vulnerable populations (not that all Americans shouldn't expect food safety regulations be followed):
About 37 million pounds of the recalled meat went to school lunch programs and other federal nutrition programs since October 2006, said Ron Vogel of the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service.
Next, let's think about the real dangers posed by this event. I'm a layperson and all, but I know that downer cows are more likely to carry the prions that cause mad cow disease, which can cause Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. That's when people get the same symptoms as mad cows. And die, always. And it can take many years for the symptoms to show up. By that time, who can say whether this incident was the cause?
Another more immediate danger is e. Coli contamination. Poisoning shouldn't happen if the meat is cooked properly. But why should we have to worry more about it? Why isn't our food safety system (ahem, HELLO, USDA) monitoring these things more closely? Can I hereby request that my tax dollars that are currently going to shoot the daylights out of Iraq be diverted to keeping our own food safer? 'Cause it's pretty clear we don't have enough supervision on the ground here.
If my family and I were vegetarian, I'd be very happy there was no chance we'd eaten this beef. But we're not. And I don't think I could be.
So, again, I'm renewing my commitment to buying our meats from small farms that care for their animals well, feed them right, and practice clean, humane slaughter. (I know. It's not humane. But there it is.) I'll also buy meats from the Niman Ranch Cooperative, which I know holds its farmers to strict standards. I won't buy from the "naturally raised" brands in the larger retailers because the guidelines for that label are fuzzy. I don't trust them.
Still I can't rule out the occasional burger out somewhere. I can't help digging the burgers at Five Guys and at a little burger stand up the street. But I think we'll limit those to once a month or so.
PunditMom covers the topic well on the DC Metro Moms blog.
I'd love to see more of the major restaurant chains address food safety. Jack in the Box and In-n-Out have stepped up. Where's everyone else? Hello, McDonald's? Burger King? Large companies can do so much to reassure the public and change safety policy for the better.
Where are you, Forces for Good? How much prodding do you need to make sure (or at least to reassure us that you're making sure) our food is safe and our animals are treated right?
So, readers, how has this news affected your thinking? Not at all? A lot? Let me know.
Comments
Did you see the USDA guy on the News Hour (PBS) last night? He was all, "oh, this is not a public health or food safety issue, just a violation of regulations."
Yeah, well, if there's no food safety concern, why the recall? Hello. If it was just a regulatory violation, wouldn't they just slap a fine on the company and leave the meat out there?
We aren't vegetarians, but we are what I call "cave-man omnivores" which is to say we eat animal flesh about once a week or every two weeks. This way it is affordable to buy the super expensive, locally, ethically, safely and humanely raised and slaughtered meat.
I will say we eat beef almost never. We mostly stick to chicken.
But it doesn't matter. No parent (least of school-lunch program parents) should have to worry that their kid is getting dangerous food. It's just completely unacceptable.
Posted by: Shannon | February 19, 2008 12:47 PM
No, I didn't see that show—probably because Baby A has figured out that "Max and Ruby" comes on at that time. But I agree totally with your reaction. This is a big deal for a lot of reasons.
I got you, too, about the hit naturally (esp. locally) raised meats has on the budget.
- Lea
Posted by: QSMama / Lea | February 19, 2008 09:16 PM
Thanks for the shout out!
Posted by: PunditMom | February 20, 2008 12:18 PM
I'm a microbiology student and would just like to point out that CJD and vCJD are extremely rare and acquiring a prion disease is more likely if eating the brain or other neurological tissue of an infected animal.
Posted by: Tracey | February 21, 2008 11:38 AM
Tracey, I know you are right. (And I'm really glad that's the case!)
- L
Posted by: QSMama / Lea | February 21, 2008 10:44 PM
We've been vegetarian (well, fish eaters) for a few years now, so I'm glad we dodged a bullet.
But honestly, I don't think you can ever expect or trust that the meat from fast food restaurants to be healthy or safe enough to eat. There has to be a tradeoff when food is that cheap! It is hard to understand the contradiction of a society where we buy $50K cars and still try to buy the cheapest thing to put in our bodies.
Posted by: Sunil | February 22, 2008 12:44 PM
Ever since I read Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation," I've been uneasy about beef. Among other things, the notion that the meat processing plants' production lines go at such a feverish pace that all kinds of unintended, random, biostuffs could end up in there really bothers me.
I'm all for supporting local meat markets and restaurants, not only for the local economy's sake, but also in the hopes that my family is getting better quality meat.
I wonder if we're really any better off by purchasing foods at the supermarket that're labeled "organic." Are they likely to have gone thru another, more safe, processing cycle?
Posted by: Rob O. | February 24, 2008 07:39 AM
Rob, I had the same reaction after reading Schlosser's book. Meat processing, especially the killing part, should be done carefully and with respect. It's not about how many you can process in an hour, or whatever.
That's greed. And it's not safe, or right.
Personally, I don't trust the big-box versions of "organic." It's too easy to fudge the standards for the label. (On the flip side, many small farmers have totally organic practices but can't afford to pay-to-play for the organic label.)
I especially trust products from the Niman Ranch Cooperative. I got to interview Bill Niman a couple of years ago and really, really respected what he had to say about naturally raised meats and sustainable farming. The article is [rummaging around the web...] linked here:
http://www.qsrmagazine.com/issue/76/another_option-1.phtml
I wish, wish, wish hamburger chains would add a naturally raised beef option. Yes, the sourcing and distribution would be a nightmare. But if they could pull it off.... Chipotle could show 'em how. And it would change farming and processing practices for the better.
- L
Posted by: QSMama / Lea | February 26, 2008 09:31 PM