ANOTHER MAD COW? ANOTHER FRIDAY

OK, so there's a preliminary test that says there could be another BSE case somewhere in the USA. I'm not going to go crazy about this or anything, because it's certainly very possible it'll wind up being a false positive. What is beyond dispute, however. is that this came out, once again, on a Friday, giving the USDA the maximum lead time to spin this before anyone really gets wind of it. How many Friday afternoon/evening announcements will there be before someone other than me publicly calls the USDA on it?

VEGANS OF THE MONTH

Ayinde Howell and family run the Hillside Quickies Vegan Sandwich Shop, and got a nod in the Seattle Times for all the A-list celebs that stop by for vegan victuals. The story name-checks Erykah Badu, but goes on to show how the lifestyle may be gaining ground among African-Americans as more hip-hop giants like Russell Simmons, Common, and Outkast's Andre 3000 make their preferences clear to the youth of America. Also, I didn't even know there was a web site called Black Vegetarians - did you?

THE DEFINITIVE ATKINS SITE

I could've added this to the last post, but it needs its own banner headline. The indefatiguable Dr. Michael Greger has a new site up that demolishes the supposed "science" of gorging yourself on fat and protein as a "healthy" and/or "long-term" weight-loss strategy, and I gotta say, I think the name of it is a real winner: ATKINS FACTS. Unlike this site, though, everything he says is footnoted for super-duper factuality.

EXPERTS: LOW-CARB FAD IS A DANGEROUS RIP-OFF

A new coalition of health experts - the Partnership for Essential Nutrition - comprising the Alliance for Aging Research, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Obesity Association among others, has released a broadside slam against the trend of high-protein, low-carb diets. The group says these diets "are leading Americans to poor health and spawning a rip-off industry of 'carb-friendly' products."
The group asserts that credulous dieters are missing out on "healthy carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains," and Jeffrey Prince of the AICR says "low-carb diets that advocate piling on the animal protein and fat are increasing the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and other chronic diseases." Dr. Atkins would be spinning in his grave if he weren't so bloated, so instead his representatives at Atkins Nutritionals are here, a few paragraphs in, spinning on his behalf.

DOGS KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING

A new study (from last week, actually, but I was busy, remember?) in the journal Science has found that dogs understand human language better than expected, knocking out another brick in the wall between us and "dumb animals." A German border collie named Rico has learned at least 200 words. In a surprising test, Rico, 9 years old, was given the names of 40 toys - once - and correctly retrieved 37 out of 40 toys by name. That's probably as well as, if not better than, most of us could do hearing German words for the first time.

MILK: A NUTRITIONAL FRAUD

This Slate article isn't very remarkable in and of itself, but it's remarkable that they had it on the Slate front page all day today. While it glosses over a lot of important stuff (and seems somewhat reminiscent of a more hard-hitting op-ed in another paper a couple weeks back), it does have some good, fresh stuff. I was unaware that in the 1920s the National Dairy Council flatly stated that, "The people who have achieved, who have become large, strong, vigorous people, who have reduced their infant mortality, who have the best trades in the world, who have an appreciation for art, literature and music, who are progressive in science and every activity of the human intellect are the people who have used liberal amounts of milk and its products." Or that a 1933 (ominous year) history of New York agriculture asserted, "A casual look at the races of people seems to show that those using much milk are the strongest physically and mentally, and the most enduring peoples of the world. Of all races, the Aryans seem have been the heaviest drinkers of milk and the greatest users of butter and cheese, a fact that may in part account for the quick and high development of this division of human beings." The white stuff, indeed.

UPDATE 6/23: As if milk's sordid history isn't bad enough, it now comes packed with toxic rocket fuel, at least in California. The Environmental Working Group's tests, conducted by researchers at Texas Tech University, found perchlorate in 31 of 32 samples from milk purchased at grocery stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties. The EWG had to do a FOIA request to get the state Department of Agriculture to release data showing even more of the chemical in milk than they had already discovered.

MAD COW TESTS: INDUSTRY FIRST, PUBLIC SECOND

Steve Mitchell keeps digging into the particulars of the USDA's testing plan, and has uncovered the fact that they plan "to notify industry officials of positive mad cow test results at least one hour before informing the public." He notes wryly that "The revelation comes as government officials are being investigated for possibly leaking information about the first U.S. case of mad cow in December to commodity traders prior to telling the public."

UPDATE 6/19: Mad Cow testing slow to get started nationally The AP reports that the much-ballyhooed acclerated BSE testing program that was supposed to make us not care how few tests have been done since December has tested less than 3,000 cattle (2,871) in its first two weeks. Calling the program "slow to gear up to the point where it can screen 220,000 animals" in 12 to 18 months, the story quotes Agency spokesman Jim Rogers' spin: "On the first day, it wasn't expected we would be performing at maximum output." OK, well, it's not the first day, pal, it's the first two weeks. And even if you went the full 18 months, at this rate, Mr. Rogers, you'd complete 113,000 tests not even FIFTY FREAKIN' PERCENT OF THE NUMBER "PROMISED." We'll wait and see when the program actually does start to "gear up."

EXERCISE MORE IMPORTANT THAN CALCIUM

"A recent study indicates that exercise is more important than calcium in developing strong bones in girls and young women. Researchers at Penn State University and Johns Hopkins University found that even when girls took in far less calcium than the recommended daily allowance, bone strength was not significantly affected, said Tom Lloyd of Penn State's College of Medicine at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. However, when the girls were asked about their exercise habits, a strong correlation was found between exercise and bone strength."

DYIN' FROM IT - AND NOT GETTIN' INSURANCE

It's not McDonalds' fault - at least not directly - that some nut slammed his car into its Mount Ephraim restaurant and killed two of its workers a couple years back. It is McDonalds' fault that the chain is trying to use a ridiculous technicality to deny life insurance benefits to the family of one of the killed workers. The excuse that Molino had been promoted from her previous position and so was working with no coverage is so patently fraudulent that even regular Joes are now boycotting Mickey D's in response. Once again, is anyone really surprised that an industry predicated on denying the reality of animal suffering doesn't give a rat's ass about the human variety either?

IF YOU DON'T START YOU'LL GO BLIND

A little over-the-top, but the fact is, a huge study (over 100,000 people for more than a decade) says eating fruit protects against an eye disease which causes blindness. "Bananas and oranges were strongly linked with protective benefits." Related: Vitamin C Protects Against Rheumatoid Arthritis. "British researchers report that people with a high daily intake of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables are three times less likely to develop the painful joint illness than those with less healthy diets."

PUNISHMENT FITS THE CRIME

OK, I'm back. Where to start? How about with this story from last week: "A judge has ordered three days of bread and water for a woman convicted of animal cruelty in neglecting two horses. Melissa Dawn Sweeney, 28, was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail after her Friday conviction on two counts of animal cruelty. Harris County Criminal Court-at-Law Judge Mike Peters sentenced her for neglecting two horses kept outside her Baytown mobile home. 'She's going to get more than her horses got,' Peters said Monday. The judge also ordered that enlarged photographs of her famished horses be kept posted on her jail cell wall, 'so she'll have a reminder of what she did.'" Well, that's fine as far as it goes, but what about all the other animal cruelty that goes on? When are pig slaughterers and chicken slaughterers gonna get their due?

HANG ON

I'll be back next week. I've got a project this week that takes 110% of my time. But there'll be plenty of things to say after the 15th.

A SECOND MAJOR U.S. ZOO FREES ITS ELEPHANTS

Oddly, no major newspaper seems to see the connection (as of 10:00 tonight, anyway), but you may recall that just two weeks ago, the Detroit Zoo freed its elephants on ethical grounds, becoming the first zoo in the nation to do so. Today the San Francisco Zoo announced it's sending its two remaining elephants to a sanctuary, get this, ignoring the recommendation of the national organization that accredits it. This is interesting, as the SF Zoo was willing to ship the two elephants (two others died recently, causing the outrage and turmoil that got the zoo here) off to another zoo, but not to the ones that wanted them. So the SF Zoo defied the big boys. "I have a lot of respect for the AZA. This could jeopardize our accreditation," said the director, who has never gone against the organization before. "I'm hoping it doesn't. This is extremely serious." It is, and it may be a harbinger of revolution in clear-eyed zoo management vs. the Olde-Tyme ideals of the institution, as represented by the AZA. If we get another one of these this summer, it's definitely a trend - and a boon for elephants and justice.

TRY THIS: EAT SENSIBLY, THOUGHTFULLY

Matthew Wiant, chief marketing officer of Atkins Nutritionals, predicts that, of at least 2,000 low-carb products flooding the marketplace now, "I bet 500 won't be on the shelf by the end of the year." Less than that, if this study gets more publicity:  A new study has found that repeatedly losing, then regaining weight - "yo-yo dieting" - may harm a woman's immune system. (Though no men participated in the study, the piece says, the immune systems of male dieters would likely be affected the same way.) So which eating pattern is this? Who's the Yo-Yo behind that lose-weight-gain-weight-lose-weight plan? Hmmmm. Fortunately, we don't have to guess, as ADA spokeswoman Katherine Tallmadge spells it out. "People should avoid popular low-carb and low-fat diets that can produce initial weight loss but rarely work in the long term, Tallmadge said. 'Study after study shows that more moderate restrictions are more likely to last permanently,' Tallmadge said. 'That's why we registered dietitians are urging people not to do the fad diets, and just try small changes that they're more likely to be able to live with - even if the weight loss is slower.'"

An example of this more gradual, stable and permanent weight loss - and in many ways the antithesis of Mr. Yo-Yo's diet - is Weight Watchers, which is being commended for most of its adherents keeping weight off over the long term. Similarly,  a new set of U.S. government dietary guidelines being written by nutrition experts was unveiled on Thursday. The preliminary version of the rules for healthful eating flatly tells Americans to cut consumption of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. The only fat you want to strive for more of, of course, is Omega-3s, and as usual the mainstream dieticians stumble over the fish problem: "the panel noted there should be a general warning about mercury in fish. The government said in March that shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish contain too much mercury to be eaten" by folks with... uh oh... weakened immune systems, still trying to put a happy face on it by greenlighting, for everybody else, "up to 12 ounces (340 grams) a week of seafood lower in mercury." Oh, except that theoretically includes Salmon, which if you're in the Northeast, you'll need to limit it to half a serving a month, federal officials said Thursday, due to dioxin "and other pollutants." Gee, I hope all the fishermen and people who eat Northeast hatchery salmon get this message... The Salmon Mousse, indeed.

KILLING ANIMALS CAUSES CANCER?

That's what it looks like, even though I'm always a little leery of news coming out of wacked-out New Zealand. Still, it seems to be on the up and up: "In a comparison with the general population, a group of 6647 meat workers was found to have a higher risk of developing all cancers and almost double the risk of getting lung cancer. The risk was increased when workers were exposed to biological material in animal urine, faeces or blood. The new Massey University research, which supports previous international studies that showed an increased risk of leukaemia, lymphoma and cancers of the lung and larynx among butchers and slaughterhouse workers, has alarmed the meat union," the article goes on to say. (Via Vegan Porn.) So that's promoting cancer. Meanwhile, soy has been shown once again to fight cancer: A study of 1,700 women by the Shanghai Cancer Institute suggested the more soya they ate, the lower their chance of developing womb cancer.

ANIMAL RIGHTS FOR AUSTRIA

At least, what's being called "animal rights" by the media. More like anti-cruelty welfare measures, but I'll take 'em. The point is that they're all based on a shared ethic, which is at least a step toward applying such ethics consistently. The law "forces farmers to uncage chickens and bars pet owners from clipping their dogs' ears or tails. The law, enacted by a unanimous vote in parliament, outlaws the use of lions and other wild animals in circuses and makes it illegal to restrain dogs with chains, choke collars or 'invisible fence' - devices that administer mild electric shocks." Hear, hear.

MAD COW POTPOURRI

There's a bunch of little developments and perspectives in the ongoing Mad-Cow brouhaha that need covered, so I'm gonna dump 'em all here:

Even the parent company of the USDA now says they're "disappointed" in it: The National Cattlemen's Beef Association board of directors is telling its members it is "very disappointed" with the agriculture department's handling of mad cow disease.

According to this Duluth paper, the USDA (which is supposedly about to vastly expand its BSE testing next week) still has been "unable for nine months now to document those [20,000] tests [in 2003] in response to a Freedom of Information Act request."

Fun with transcripts, part I: A Denver Post piece called "When advocates become regulators" profiles Charles Lambert, who spent 15 years at the NCBA before joining the USDA as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. At a hearing less than one year ago, Lambert said mad cow disease wasn't a threat.
"Is there a possibility that it could get through?" Rep. Joe Baca, a California Democrat, asked.
Lambert answered, "No, sir."
"None at all?" Baca asked.
"No," Lambert replied.
"You would bet your life on it - your job on it, right?"
Lambert answered, "Yes, sir."
And of course, Lambert, who now says, "I overstated my case," still has a job - the job he bet against Mad Cow showing up in the USA! "Whether it's intentional or not, USDA gives the impression of being a wholly owned subsidiary of America's cattlemen," sez Carol Tucker Foreman in the article. "Their interests
rather than the public interests predominate in USDA policy."

Fun with transcripts, part II: At yesterday's Tele-News Conference with Ann M. Veneman and J.B.Penn, Veneman again said more cows will be found in the US to have BSE: "[W]e anticipate that we may find a few additional cows. And we are prepared for that. Certainly we've discussed this with our trading partners in terms of a very robust system that we are implementing in terms of surveillance in this country." Penn chimed in with " ... And we of course have made them aware that if we have additional BSE in our livestock herds then we'll very possibly find it." Oh, very possibly, huh? That's reassuring. Then comes this question from a reporter:

Q: There's a claim that I believe is coming from not just RCALF but the Consumer Federation that the USDA's misrepresenting the Harvard Study saying that it does not account for the introduction, the possible introduction of diseased cattle from Canada or other countries and therefore you cannot make any presumptions about the state of the safety of the supply in this country.

And Veneman says - wait for it - "I don't have any information," right. "Well, I don't have the benefit of having heard the RCALF press conference first of all, so I can't respond to specific allegations they may be making. But let me just say a word about the Harvard Study. ...And through that study it didn't say that we didn't have BSE or we wouldn't have BSE." No, the study didn't, Madame Secretary, you did, which is exactly what the questioner explicitly asked you. As you know, on Feb. 26, 2002 you said the study's conclusion was that "early government protection systems have been largely responsible for keeping BSE out of the United States." Liar.

Science corner: Here's an interesting angle. "With funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a group of UW-Madison researchers will investigate what happens if infectious prion proteins - considered the cause of chronic wasting disease and mad cow disease - enter wastewater treatment plants. At most treatment plants, microorganisms decompose biodegradable material in the sewage and, in theory, should also disintegrate infectious proteins, says McMahon. But as she points out, prion proteins generally are very resistant to degradation. "Prion proteins can be viewed as an environmental contaminant," says McMahon, adding that it currently is not known how long these proteins can remain intact and infectious in the environment.

Well, fortunately, we don't drink wastewater. I mean, sure, sometimes by accident... but other than that, and in a few places here and there, I mean, sometimes wastewater can become tap water, and in that form, rather a lot, really...

This is where we might wish the USDA were allowing their workers to actually learn the new food-safety rules without taking a sick day from work. But don't worry, because the USDA may soon be investigating itself again over Mad Cow, this time, over the clear violation of its own policy to allow millions of pounds of Canadian processed beef into the US. Chuck Schumer "has requested the OIG look into who at the USDA made the decision and if the meat industry put pressure on the agency to ignore the Canadian restrictions." CSPI's Caroline Smith DeWaal sums it all up: "They've been ignoring the risks from (mad cow disease) in the human food supply since the 1990s, on the basis that we didn't have (mad cow) in this country, so now these assertions from the agency that there's no possibility that contaminated meat could reach U.S. consumers is really questionable."

FAMILIES CAN'T 'BEAR' TO GIVE UP CRUELTY

An intentionally frightening photo of former sex kitten Brigitte Bardot accompanies this story of her success in getting 24 Bulgarian dancing bears, formerly working for Gypsy families, returned to the wild. The article notes that "The brown bear has been a protected species in Bulgaria since 1991, which means that it is forbidden by law to sell or buy the animals or exhibit them to the public. But in spite of this some 20 families still earn their living using dancing bears, who need to be trained for years with methods that are considered cruel. Tsvetelina Ivanova from Four Legs said the organisation also offered them jobs in the bear reserve but they refused, saying it does not correspond with their lifestyle." Awwwww. Not quite cruel enough for you, huh? Sorry, but I have no sympathy for maintaining any "cultural heritage" that involves animal abuse, any more than I weep for crack dealers who would rather stick with that "lifestyle" than do honest work. Leave the bears alone and get a job, losers.

USDA: "SEATING PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO THE INDUSTRY"

Now it looks as though our health guardians are afraid of finding any form of dangerous contamination: A recent memo on the new HACCP food safety rules informs inspectors that the USDA will not reimburse them for travel expenses or give them time off to attend an educational session that's been scheduled during weekday working hours. Here's the money quote: "The memo says inspectors are free to attend a separate session on Saturday that is intended for industry personnel, but cautions 'seating preference will be given to the industry.'"

This wry piece by Steve Mitchell slams the USDA's bogus excuses up against the wall with deadpan reporting: The USDA spokesman says the meeting was on a workday because "it would be more convenient for the inspectors rather than taking up their time in the evening," whereas "The industry meeting was scheduled for the weekend because 'a lot of companies find it easier to do these workshops on Saturday than they do during the work week.'" Steve Mitchell blithely notes the evasiveness: "Asked if a weekend meeting also might be more convenient for agency employees, Baun [completely changed the subject]."

Later Mitchell spells out what should be obvious: USDA inspectors need the training more than industry employees "because they oversee the companies to ensure they are conducting the HACCP tests in an appropriate way and often help the plant employees understand what the regulations require of them."

It all wraps up in a classic wry juxtaposition. "The CDC recently reported a 36 percent reduction in E. coli infections as well as drops in illnesses associated with other pathogens, an announcement that was hailed by the USDA and the meat industry as evidence the HACCP program was effective." Then: "The same week of the CDC announcement, however, the meat company Excel recalled 22 tons of beef due to possible E. coli contamination." Well, yeah.

But here's the REAL kicker - this whole we-don't-want-you-to-learn-how-to-find-pathogens-so-we'll-make-it-egregiously-hard approach to scheduling? Casually tossed off in the middle of the story:

USDA spokesman Matt Baun "said a similar approach had been used for training sessions on mad cow disease testing."

ATKINS: TOO FEW VITAMINS, TOO MUCH CHOLESTEROL

"By severely limiting -- or completely cutting -- carbohydrates from their diets, many people may not be getting the full complement of nutrients required for optimal health," said Andy Davis, senior vice president for Wyeth Consumer Healthcare. And he should know, since he's putting out a vitamin expressly designed to make up for the deficiencies of Atkins-style diets. Of course he's got a vested interest in saying that, BUT he's also putting out a product he expects people will want. "Centrum Carb Assist is formulated with high levels of the B vitamins -- niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamins B6 and B12 -- as well as the antioxidants selenium, manganese, and vitamins C, D and E. It also has 100 percent recommended daily requirements of iron, zinc and copper." Jesus. Vitamin C and E, antioxidants, sure; but whodathunkit that you'd need a supplement for friggin' iron, zinc and B12? What exactly is the point of eating meat, again?

Similarly, a government-commissioned panel of dietary experts on Wednesday gave "a cold shoulder to the craze for high-protein diets," stressing the need for a "variety" of foods. Given the above, it's unclear why meat should be included at all in that variety. More to the point, the draft language "is not as straight forward as I think it needs to be," said Margo Wootan, nutrition policy director for activist group Center for Science in the Public Interest. "You have to cut calories, too." Hmmmm... what kind of food is low in calories and high in nutrients?

All this would be kind of academic if it weren't so dangerous to eat so much animal protein. A dieter suing Atkins says "following the Atkins diet for two years raised the man's cholesterol so much that his arteries became clogged and required a medical procedure to open them." Specifically, after just two months on it, "his cholesterol shot from 146, well within the normal range, to 230, considered in the hazardous range. In October 2003, after three episodes of chest pain, doctors found that Mr. Gorran had a 99 percent blockage in a major artery and performed angioplasty and inserted a stent to keep it open. Before starting the diet, he said, tests showed that his arteries were clear. Within two months after going off the Atkins diet, where his favorite foods were cheese every day and cheesecake three times a week, his cholesterol dropped to 146."

The American Heart Association said it would not comment on the suit, but issued a statement saying, "Eating large amounts of high-fat foods for a sustained period raises the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer."