The FDA almost never takes action to protect the public. Instead, the agency's decisions consistently and almost universally protect the financial interests of influential corporations such as pharmaceutical companies or, in this case, beef industry companies.
Mad cow disease is real, and it's here in America. It's caused by insane feeding practices that allow cattle ranchers to feed their cows chicken litter (yes, chicken dung) and the blood, brains and spinal cord tissue from other cows and dead animals. This is the stuff that goes into the food you're eating, folks (if you eat red meat, that is).
The sane thing would be to ban the use of these feed items for cows. That's what the FDA should have done six months ago. But now, they're delaying it even further: it could take two years to get a decision from the FDA on this. Meanwhile, cattle ranchers keep on feeding their cows practically any form of protein they can get their hands on, regardless of its safety.
In this situation, both the FDA and the USDA are acting out of total disregard for the health and safety of the public. The beef industry loves all the delays, because they've never wanted to be forced to actually follow sane feeding practices in the first place (it would add cost to the beef). They'd rather just keep on feeding their cows anything they can find -- blood, brain matter, spinal cords, chicken dung, you name it -- and pretend mad cow disease doesn't exist.
As a consumer, if you thought the FDA was protecting you, you're sadly mistaken. The agency acts more like a marketing branch for private industry than a government regulator.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and award-winning journalist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has authored and published several downloadable personal preparedness courses including a downloadable course focused on safety and self defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In mid 2010, Adams produced TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing website offering user-generated videos on nutrition, green living, fitness and more. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also the founder of a well known HTML email software company whose 'Email Marketing Director' software currently runs the NaturalNews subscription database. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Tuesday, July 13, 2004
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