Factory farms and E. coli

[chelaque liberal]

"Indeed, this epidemic, which has infected more than 100 people and resulted in at least one death, probably has little do with the folks who grow and package your greens. The detective trail ultimately leads back to a seemingly unrelated food industry - beef and dairy cattle.

First, some basic facts about this usually harmless bacterium: E. coli is abundant in the digestive systems of healthy cattle and humans, and if your potato salad happened to be carrying the average E. coli, the acid in your gut is usually enough to kill it.

But the villain in this outbreak, E. coli O157:H7, is far scarier, at least for humans. Your stomach juices are not strong enough to kill this acid-loving bacterium, which is why it's more likely than other members of the E. coli family to produce abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever and, in rare cases, fatal kidney failure.

Where does this particularly virulent strain come from? It's not found in the intestinal tracts of cattle raised on their natural diet of grass, hay and other fibrous forage. No, O157 thrives in a new - that is, recent in the history of animal diets - biological niche: the unnaturally acidic stomachs of beef and dairy cattle fed on grain, the typical ration on most industrial farms. It's the infected manure from these grain-fed cattle that contaminates the groundwater and spreads the bacteria to produce, like spinach, growing on neighboring farms."

http://www.ninaplanck.com/index.php?article=e_coli

[gully]

1. Another case for grass fed beef.

eom

[HereSince1628]

2. I don't believe I've ever heard of an aquifer contaminated with ECO157H7

Was this supposed to be surface water?

[Broadslidin]

6. Walkerton, Ontario Aquifer Contaminated - Operated By Enron's Azurix

1000's who were seriously ill are facing liver failure
and many dead.

The result of easily bought politicians gleefully selling
public water systems to a corporation private subsidiary
under the guise of "cost efficiency".

Enron's private subsidiary, Azurix owned and operated
Walkerton's water and purification plant during this
period of E-Coli 0157-H7 deaths and mass illness.
(8000+ seeking emergency hospital treatment)

Ontario government investigations found
As a 'bottom line' cost containment measure,
Azurix employed a known unqualified alcoholic
to operate the Walkerton water treatment plant.

One week before Enron filed for bankruptcy,
Kenneth Lay sold Azurix to American Water Works (N.J.)

A year later, GWE AG of Germany through its
privately held subsidiary, Thames Water (London, England)
purchased American Water Works for $7 Billion (US).

Privately held subsidiaries are not required to publicly
file financial statements nor business strategy plans.

Through a highly successful back door encouragement strategy,
Smithfield Foods (Va) continues to manipulate
the Ontario government in promoting the animal factory industry.
(Whether it is the 'contract janitor farmer' or
sausage maker, all are well aware,
there may be Ontario Laws governing factory farms
but in reality, enforcement remains nil.)

Confirmation of the above can be obtained through
a Google search.

[HereSince1628]

8. Thanks, that's interesting.

Here in SE Wisconsin the most common contamination of well-water is by floodwater covering a well head. Generally that contamination is localized to the well which gets chlorine treatment and flushing. And old usually relatively shallow wells on farms are sometimes problems as they were often placed to close to barns... I'd never heard of contaminated water moving o157 in the aquifer to a well a long distance away from potential contamination.

[terip64]

3. K&R Grass fed beef is GREAT for you!!

[trotsky]

5. Not only great for you, but has superior taste and texture. n/t

[chelaque liberal]

7. Home advantage: Locally grown foods deemed safer

http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories//index.php?ntid=100122


"I want to encourage Wisconsin residents to support our local farmers and farmers' markets by purchasing and consuming locally grown spinach," said Gov. Jim Doyle, after the Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that the outbreak originated from spinach grown in three counties in the Salinas Valley of California.

Larry Johnson, market manager for the Dane County Farmers' Market, one of the largest in the country, said one of the advantages of buying fresh produce from local farmers instead of off the grocers' shelves is the direct connection between grower and purchaser.

"You can look right at the farmer and ask him or her about the produce," Johnson said.

[terip64]

4. Kick! This is important!