TWO FOR THE SHOW

Two stories that have nothing to do with each other, but on neither do I have enough to say to justify a full post, so I'll package them together as another compare-and-contrast: While Moyer Packing Co. has recalled 100 tons of beef for E.Coli contamination (another recall announced on a Friday afternoon - what're the odds?), researchers have found that flax, already known to be a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, also helps to lower cholesterol in women.

OPRAH NOT GUILTY AFTER ALL

The lawsuit by cattlemen against Oprah Winfrey has finally been thrown out. Yes, she was already vindicated once in court of libeling American beef, but the cowboys wouldn't take NOT GUILTY for an answer and tried again. This isn't actually so momentous an occurrence, since the follow-up suit was a pathetic gesture to begin with, but it gives me a legitimate reason to point you to the talk-show guest who started the whole brouhaha - Howard Lyman, the original Mad Cowboy.

THE REST OF THE STORY

Big day for follow-ups on stories to which Meat Facts has already alerted you:

That listeria outbreak continues to be as mysterious as ever, with 13 people now dead in our region and health officials advising that children should not eat baloney unless it's fried (as well as other admonitions) and nobody seeming to care much about tracking down where this killer originated.

The epic USDA-ConAgra fiasco won't go away, with members of Congress saying the agency has failed to adequately explain its delay in recalling the meat, and for the first time asserting that ConAgra, not just the USDA, knew about the contamination as early as mid-APRIL. You may recall that ConAgra sealed a deal to sell its meatpacking division in MAY. The recall happened in JULY. Hmmmm...

And in further evidence of McDonald's plunge into the toilet, the company's stock fell thirteen percent today after it admitted it was doing poorly not just here in the states, but overseas as well. Thirteen percent? Doesn't sound like a good omen.

And now you know ... the meat of the story.

*

UPDATE 10/7: This AP/Yahoo story which was linked to above did indeed say 13 people had already died in this outbreak, but lately they're just saying seven. I dunno what happened to the other six...

"I got better..."

IT'S OFFICIAL

The General Accounting Office released a report slamming the USDA for telling Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables, while at the same time disproportionately spending tax money on meat-industry bailouts. Despite comprising 33 percent of the recommended food servings in the Food Guide Pyramid, fruits and vegetables account for less than 5 percent of USDA spending.