I noticed on my way home the other day that McDonalds is now selling a fish version of McNuggets. Why is this? Well, I suspect it may because it seems to be about the only safe thing now. Except vegetables. For now.
The last couple of days has seen not only a huge increase in bird flu, but also BSE cases anew.
Sadly, the owners of a chicken-farm which tried to cover up the death-rate from the bird-flu hanged themselves. This isn’t a massive surprise to the Japanese – cover ups of even massive health issues aren’t unknown — recent years have seen falsified nuclear safety reports and a few real screw ups (and here too).
The Agriculture ministry also announced today the 11th official case of BSE in Japan. All of a sudden, that mass slaughter in the UK a few years ago doesn’t seem so over-done.
This all bothers me, and I think to be honest in a few months I’ll end up being a vegetarian whether I like it or not.
Beans aren’t scary! Eat beans. Beans, beans, beans!
Let’s all eat beans.
Seriously though. The big beef scare has been a big boost for the environment. Chickens don’t have near as bad of an effect, but beans are the best. 🙂
BTW, There is a good show on NPR’s The Connection about food scares.
If you have an hour, you may want to listen to it.
http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2004/03/20040309_b_main.asp
“It’s getting hard these days to find good news about food. Most recently, it started with the beef. Stampeding mad cows sent consumers running to the fish counter, only to learn that their beloved farm-raised salmon was tainted with toxins. Then the chickens got the flu, and there’s that buzz about coffee increasing the risk of miscarriages. The list doesn’t stop there.
Daily headlines herald new fears and spark new phobias: mercury-poisoned swordfish, killer cheese, and so-called spring water that’s really from the tap.
The flood of information has many of us scratching our heads in the produce department, wondering what is safe to eat.”