Pork safe to eat despite WHO warning, Canadian officials stress

[CHIMO]

Source: CBC News

Canadian health officials maintain pork is safe to eat despite comments from the World Health Organization that the swine flu virus could survive freezing and remain in the thawed meat and blood of infected pigs.

Earlier Wednesday, the WHO's director of food safety said meat from pigs infected with the H1N1 influenza A virus shouldn't be used for human consumption.

Jorgen Schlundt told Reuters the blood of pigs infected with the H1N1 flu virus might survive the freezing process.

"Meat from sick pigs or pigs found dead should not be processed or used for human consumption under any circumstances," he wrote in an email to the news agency.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/05/06/pork-eat-who060.html

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Last Updated: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 | 6:41 PM ET

[Canuckistanian]

1. OMG, what idiots

This "Jorgen Schlundt" person seems to be a maverick. Notice there's no "Dr." before his name.

Canadian officials said their message is no different from what WHO and Canadian officials have been saying all along.

"There is no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of properly prepared, salvaged and cooked pork and pork products," said Dr. Brian Evans, the chief veterinary officer for Canada.

~snip

The message was echoed by Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones, who said the food inspection process is very effective.

"There is no reason to stop eating pork," he said. "The inspection system in Canada does address all those issues. We do not eat either sick or other animals in that position."

Butler-Jones also said proper cooking of pork will kill any viruses present in the meat.

[Mojorabbit]

2. This is the same problem with bird flu

which can survive a long time in the environment and in dead poultry. They say it is safe to eat if well cooked. It is the person in the kitchen preparing the raw meat who needs to take care when handling the meat and in cleaning the prep area and people should have that information.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Nobody eats pork tartare

You just take the same precautions you do normally - wash your hands before and after handling raw pork.

Always use a thermometer.

And NEVER put cooked meat on the same dish that you used to prepare it.

[imdjh]

6. I think I outgrew pork

It wasn't a conscious decision on the whole. Yes, I stopped eating ham about 30 years ago, when I went to slice some off one at my mom's house and this green and blue oil ran from it. But I have consumed plenty of deli ham and other pork products since. And I confess that I do love a sausage biscuit now and then , and have no idea what kind of meat it is. But porch chops, ribs, ham, loin and stuff like that- I just don't buy it anymore.

OF course, chopped pork barbeque at street fairs is an honorary vegetable, as is pepperoni.

[Sandrine for you]

3. This pork should be destroy...suppose that this batch go in a cheap resto who does not cook enough

that meat ...And because in fact nobody in the world want this meat, we are suppose, the Canadians are suppose to eat that ? Fuck-it. Just destroy them so we could retrieve our confidence.

[Canuckistanian]

8. We don't slaughter sick animals

That's STRICTLY illegal even if there's no flu virus.

And I don't eat in restaurants that undercook pork and neither should anyone else.

This is being blown WAY out of proportion and destroying the livelihoods of farmers.

The World Health Organization says there's no problem. Canadian health officials say no problem.

Let's not start panic here.

[Sandrine for you]

10. Ol but

And I don't eat in restaurants that under-cook pork and neither should anyone else.

But some do, a lot of people do, poor people, people who never read anything except there little paycheck, and don't have time to care about this because of their 3 children.

This is being blown WAY out of proportion and destroying the livelihoods of farmers.

Just put a new 0,00025 % new tax on the 1 % most rich, and give that to the farmers. Anyway, these rich ones, will not eat that meat.

The World Health Organization says there's no problem. Canadian health officials say no problem.

Nobody should eat an animal who was sick.

That's STRICTLY illegal even if there's no flu virus.

We should find an another use of this animal than the alimentary chain.

[SlingBlade]

4. Meat from sick pigs or ....

"PIGS FOUND DEAD should not be processed or used for human consumption under any circumstances," :wtf:

Road Kill ?

[kestrel91316]

5. Here's the deal: OF COURSE the meat from pigs sick with ANY flu should not

be used for human consumption, because humans could get that flu if they exercise poor sanitation in the kitchen. And pigs that are dead when they get to the slaughterhouse are barred for human consumption altogether. DUH.

However, once they recover from the flu, just like humans who recover from flu, they are NO LONGER CONTAGIOUS. So recovered, well pigs can and should be available for human consumption.

So sayeth THIS veterinarian.

[daleo]

9. But can we really trust our inspection services?

Canada recently had about 20 deaths due to lysteriosis in processed meat, supposedly due to an improperly cleaned cutting machine. There are concerns that inspection was lax, and reports may have been altered after the fact to cover that up. The federal (Conservative) minister in charge of meat inspection was quoted as making light of the situation at the time, and was overheard saying that he hoped the latest victim of the outbreak was an opposition critic.

Furthermore, the former premier of Alberta was notorious for advising farmers with BSE cattle to "shoot, shovel, and shut up." Who is to say if that mentality isn't quite deeply rooted in the provincial government (it is the same Conservative Party in power).

I live in Alberta, so I know the local politicians are not necessarily trustworthy.

[kestrel91316]

12. I can't speak for Canada. In the US, pork producers are really neurotic about flu,

and pigs sick with flu are not going to pass inspection at the slaughterhouse unless the veterinarian in charge is blind or a bald-faced liar, both of which are unlikely. Believe it or not, veterinarians at the USDA are not a bunch of lazy slackers - they take pride in doing their job well, and like the recognition they get for stopping foodborne disease outbreaks.

But when in doubt, handle raw meat responsibly and cook it properly. Flu virus is not found in muscle meat (being a respiratory virus), and heat kills it deader than dead anyway.

[Algorem]

11. they'll eat what they're told to