Monday, November 5, 2007

Another Meat Recall-HACCP Fails Again

It's cold today, the Colts lost to New England, and the leaves are finally beginning to change color. Our dogs hate to go outside in cold weather. The leaves changes color about 2 weeks late this year due to the extraordinary hot weather.

My affirmation today is that positive things will happen this week.

I picked up the Sunday Star and read about yet another beef recall. How many children must we sicken or kill before HACCP is actually enforced, not just catching dust. Keep in mind that one pound of hamburger contains the flesh of at least 100 of our bovine buddies. No steak tartar for me, thank you.

When I catered for the NBA Charters for 16 years, in order to get the account, our kitchen team had to pass a rather stringent exam on Cross Contamination. HACCP, an an acronym for Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point was created by the odd combo of NASA and Pillsbury to keep astronauts from getting food born illness in space. After all, diarrhea in zero gravity could be a drag. The system is in place, no one likes to follow the strict rules, and Senators claim it is not being utilized to protect the public. Wonder who's getting paid off. Money changes everything.
In America, annually, 7 million good folks get sick eating in restaurants, 325,000 go to the hospital, and 4-5 thousand die from the lack of sanitation enforcement. (USDA)

The merciless meat packing horror houses of Factory Farms should be shut down and we need to go back to supporting our own local economy with fresh, unprocessed whole foods. wwwfactoryfarming.com. I prefer not to ingest meat, but if you do, support your local economy and by your beef from a local farmer. One who doesn't inject them with a stew of chemicals and turn them into cannibals by feeding them dead cow parts and chicken droppings. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

Okay, I'm taking in a few deep breaths. I get so worked up over the inhumane treatment of life headed to market, simply so restaurants can serve Veal Oscar. Pathetic arrogance.
Got to go rake those leaves before I get too worked up.

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