STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann
WebsterCo. Extention Educator

            
   Oh sure, the moment I talk about the potential of a continuing drought we get a pretty good moisture event. I was even asked if this means the drought is broken. I come back to that with a resounding NO! We are far from being out of the woods on this thing. I would hope for the best but plan for the worst in this case. Now I might change my mind if we see some of this moisture in June and July, but I would not hold my breath.  I was reminded that we had all of the corn planted by this time last year and were starting on beans.  I reminded back that last year it was hot and windy and dry for a month already at this time.  This year at least we have had cool and cloudy conditions, which have saved our bacon so far. I know that we will be seeing a lot of activities involving planters the next few weeks. I still suggest doing whatever you can do to tempt the rain – wash your pickup, do the Indian rain dance, put clothes out on the line, or leave open the grain bin roof vents. We have a lot of season left and we are very far behind in our soil moisture profiles.
     I always keep an eye on things that have a tendency to affect our animal agriculture and this week something caught my eye and thus my critical attention. This week “Risky Meat: A Field Guide to Meat & Poultry Safety,” made headlines on most national media web sites, newspapers and broadcast outlets. Now of course I had to read it, and see what this was all about. A group called The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) released their so-called “scientific analysis” that ranked the 12 riskiest meat and poultry categories. I was more curious than hoping for education. Let’s take a look at this and see if we can’t do our part in dispelling what this group is trying to “sell” to our consumers.    
     What was interesting to me was that these risks were assigned based on outbreak reports and the likelihood of hospitalizations associated with the pathogens most commonly reported in those foods. The risk levels were supposedly determined by using information from 12 years and 1,700 outbreaks and the review of 33,000 cases of foodborne illnesses. Now, according to CSPI, risk levels show ground beef and chicken were rated as the highest risk, followed by other cuts of beef, steak and turkey. Barbecue, deli meats, pork and roast beef received a medium risk ranking, and the meats said to be least risky were chicken nuggets, ham and sausage. Now that is a “Field Guide” I can hang my hat on.
     While CSPI’s analysis seems shocking, I think that the larger question is whether the information is “useful” for consumers for their health and well-being. It is I think it is really a shot across the food industry’s bow and an attention getter, because the incidence of foodborne illness has declined in recent years and they don’t mention that. It actually may even distract consumers from the big picture - that all foods come with risks. We all should know that all food is risky and should be treated with care, not just meat, but produce – everything – as a potential source of dangerous microorganisms. As a matter of fact, over the last decade, the biggest source of foodborne illness has been primarily vegetables, which consumers often eat raw. I have to admit that I do just that too.  Baby carrots, radishes, cabbage and of course lettuce are all examples. Just like we encourage consumers should use a thermometer to tell when their meat has reached the proper internal temperature. They should thoroughly wash all produce and discard vegetable peels. 
     I think we don’t want something to get lost in this discussion. There is no doubt in my mind that we have a meat and poultry supply that delivers consistently safe eating experiences. And in fact, according to the American Meat Institute (AMI), our U.S. meat and poultry companies produce 90 billion pounds of meat and poultry products a year and 99.99 percent of these are consumed safely. I would say that is a pretty good record. It needs to be pointed out that seafood, poultry and beef showed the sharpest decline in the number of reported outbreaks in the study period according to resources provided by the AMI.  Regardless of this report, consumers should continue to enjoy the meat and poultry products they normally choose and should continue to follow the safe handling instructions provided on all packages.
     Now, let’s take a look at this CSPI. According to this groups information, it is a self-described “consumer advocacy organization” that aims to provide “consumers with current, useful information about their health and well-being”. However, according to www.activistcash.com , CSPI fancies itself a “watchdog” group but behaves more like an attack dog, savaging restaurants, disparaging adults’ food choices, and discouraging even moderate alcohol consumption. CSPI was founded in 1971 by current executive director Michael Jacobson, and two of his co-workers at Ralph Nader’s Center for the Study of Responsive Law. Since then, CSPI’s joyless eating club has issued hundreds of high-profile—and highly questionable—reports condemning soft drinks, coffee, fats in our foods, fat substitutes (Olestra), trans-fats, irradiated meat, biotech food crops (GMOs), French fries, Halloween candy, salt, and even caffeine in general - just about anything that tastes good or perks you up. They also attack any foods that may have been “exposed” to pesticides.
     You may be aware of its constant attacks on fast food restaurants, as they are constant. CSPI’s self-anointed “experts” encourage “a whole lot of lawsuits” against fast-food restaurants mostly because they see legal action as leverage to enact all the restrictions on food they have long supported. Does that sound familiar? I think HSUS may have taken a page out of their book. Each of these actions is accompanied by a breathless press release that seeks to scare ordinary consumers about the food they eat. I think this is exactly that. CSPI also has a strong bias against meat and dairy. Jacobson, himself a vegetarian, believes in eating a more plant-based diet and thinks everyone should follow his lead. Hmmmmm!

The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/home