Last week, the New York Times, which loves to hate conventional farmers, blamed the recent outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in spinach on cows fed grain diets. The story carried the sensational title of "Leafy Green Sewage." Even though use of any fertilizer product that has anything to do with cows on leafy vegetables is strongly discouraged by the FDA (if not downright outlawed), the activist newspaper eagerly snatched an opportunity to bash animal agriculture.
Now an actual, real, honest to gosh, scientist has pointed out that they are full of hooey. On US Newswire comes a story, quoting Dr. David Renter, an assistant professor of veterinary epidemiology at Kansas State University, as saying, " E. Coli O157:H7 Not Limited to Grain-Fed Cattle"
Turns out that sheep, deer, bison, raccoons, birds and cows that live on grass and hay, not to mention the humans who harvest the crop and are often as much as a quarter mile from the nearest bathroom, can all carry the disease in their digestive tracts.
Shame on the Times for being so quick to trot out the latest in unscientific bilge for a blame game in such a time of crisis.
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GRRREAT post! The NYTimes is so full of baloney on everything. I am amazed the rag is still in circulation.
ReplyDeleteGood job and God Bless American Farmers. It's a thankless job, but millions rely on the farmers!
Ha! Heathen NYT reader chiming in here (it's my home page actually) - I did read that article, then heard the same gentleman on a radio show completely debunking it.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think the chances of them discovering the source? From a non-farmners' viewpoint, seems that it's a bit of a storm in a teacup. Not for the unfortunate people who got sick, of course - but the risk seems very low. I ate a whole bunch of bagged spinach, cooked, two days before the story broke.
Ain't ALL the media grand?
ReplyDeleteWe must blame something! Quick, find a scientist or ANYONE and get them to blame ANYTHING!
I'd like to single out The Times... but let's face it, pretty much all newsmedia loves to leap to conclusions with anything bad...
Mrs mecomber, thanks, I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeletecarina, I read another story in the course of today's research that said that food bourne illness is at its lowest rate in history, so.....
Hi Matthew, Thanks for visiting.
Just my opinion, but I think the Times in light of its sheer power, should give a little more thought to its sources. This particular article seemed more like a witch hunt than a reasoned article. It really got my goat.
I do believe that e-coli is killed by cooking, completely. If we cooked all the spinach we would probably be OK, just like we can't eat rare hamburger anymore...for the same reason.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Mom
Cooking is good...although I am leaning toward the grow it yourself program.
ReplyDeleteLove you too Mommy!
As a big fan of raw spinach and as an investigator, it may be never before they identify the source. My gut feeling (haha) is that someone, somewhere, fertilized the wrong field with liquid fertilizer. If it was a mistake, I can almost guarantee there will be no record of it, anywhere.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm - don't you love that "organically grown label"? No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Isn't manure organic? Yes, farmworkers can be carrying e-coli. I have some handy in my vet medicine fridge.
ReplyDeleteHey there wil, it is looking as if you are exactly right, from what I have been reading. I was saddened to read about your brother. Sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteHi Moos, I got a big kick out of the fact that the company to which the spinach was traced was the biggest organic grower in the world...so that is what that label is worth in terms of food safety.