Breaking News: Topps Meat is going out of business!

[Guest guest]

*Breaking News: Topps Meat is going out of business!

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2007-10-05-topps-meat-recall_N.htm

*

 

 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

 

 

Prevent E. coli by changing your diet

 

October 5, 2007

 

/By Susan Levin

/sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum05beefnboct05,0,272815.story

 

Worried about beef? If the Topps Meat recall made you think twice about

biting into a burger, you aren't alone. The company recently recalled

almost 22 million pounds of frozen hamburger because of possible E. coli

contamination, which has been linked to more than 25 reported illnesses

in more than half a dozen states, including Florida.

 

Despite well-publicized efforts by the American Meat Institute to

increase food safety standards, contaminated meat still finds its way

into our grocery stores and restaurants. In fact, in June of this year,

the United Food Group recalled 5.7 million pounds of beef, which was

blamed for an E. coli outbreak in Western states.

 

The figures are grim. Every year, Escherichia coli 0157:H7 is

responsible for approximately 60 deaths and more than 70,000 infections

in the United States, and more E. coli infections in this country have

been caused by eating ground beef than any other food. It's a critical

public health issue, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and meat

companies don't seem to be able to solve the problem.

 

As a dietitian, I think it's time for consumers to face the facts:

Burgers can bite you back in a big way. And E. coli is not the only

problem. There are other dangers associated with meat that even the most

diligent food inspector can't protect the public from. Our high-fat,

meat-heavy diets are creating a public health disaster.

 

Meat contributes to obesity and heart disease, and it has been linked to

several forms of cancer, especially colon cancer. In fact, people who

eat red or processed meat are 50 percent more likely to develop colon

cancer.

 

Think chicken is a healthier or safer alternative? Think again. Last

year, /Consumer//Reports/ reported that 83 percent of chicken sampled

from supermarkets, natural food stores, and gourmet groceries tested

positive for campylobacter and/or salmonella, two leading causes of

food-borne illness. And in 2002, the USDA announced that 1.8 million

pounds of turkey sent to schools and other food program recipients were

recalled for possible contamination with the deadly listeria bacteria.

 

Even at its leanest --- white meat, no skin, no added fat --- chicken

gets about 23 percent of its calories from fat. That's not much lower

than lean beef, at 28 percent, and much higher than beans, rice, fruits,

and vegetables, which usually derive less than 10 percent of their

calories from fat. A substantial amount of the fat in chicken is

artery-clogging saturated fat, and chicken is loaded with cholesterol:

USDA figures show that a 3.5-ounce portion of beef has about 86

milligrams, and the same portion of skinless, white meat chicken has 85

milligrams.

 

Americans need to understand that meat consumption and intensive animal

agriculture play key roles in the E. coli problem. Meat can become

contaminated during animal slaughter, when E. coli bacteria can spread

to various cuts of meat, equipment, and workers' hands. Animal

agriculture can also contaminate vegetable crops, as occurred last year

when spinach tainted with E. coli by manure from a nearby cattle ranch

killed three people.

 

The Topps Meat recall will likely shame the USDA and the American Meat

Institute into calling for more testing in slaughterhouses and

meat-processing plants. But the best solution is to simply leave meat

out of our diets.

 

People who follow meatless diets tend to have lower cholesterol and

blood pressure levels than meat-eaters. They also tend to be slimmer and

have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of

cancer. And staying disease-free also means lower health care costs.

 

Today, Americans can enjoy a wide variety of meatless options, ranging

from beans and rice to vegetable-based soups to veggie hot dogs and

veggie burgers. Why take risks associated with meat when a vegetarian

diet can help eliminate the risk of food-borne illness, improve overall

health, and prevent disease?

 

Susan Levin is a staff dietitian with the Physicians Committee for

Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC.

 

2007, South Florida Sun-Sentinel <http://www.sun-sentinel.com/>