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Escherichia coli showing flagella by Microbe World
This is older news for those who’ve been paying attention, but it still warrants flashing red lights. The reckless Tea-GOP members of Congress are trying to end funding for the principal federal agency that does testing for contamination — such as E. Coli — of fruits and vegetable produce. And the reason their supporters give for this homicidal effort is that the program has actually forced the recall of contaminated produce that might have sickened or killed conumers.
From the Seattle Times via Chicago Tribune:
Congress is moving to eliminate the only national program that regularly screens U.S. fruits and vegetables for the type of E. coli that recently caused an deadly outbreak in Germany.
The House last month approved a bill that would end funding for the 10-year-old Microbiological Data Program (MDP), which tests about 15,000 annual samples of vulnerable produce such as sprouts, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cantaloupes and cilantro for pathogens including salmonella and E. coli.
Over the past two years, its findings have triggered at least 19 produce recalls, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The supporters of this pathological action admit their justification is that the program actually works:
Those critics say the pathogen testing program has overstepped its original mandate to monitor pathogens in produce, collect data and calculate a baseline of contamination levels from which to measure improvement.
“We thought that was fine and those were good things to do,” said David Gombas of United Fresh Produce, a major industry association. “But over time it got twisted, and it turned into a regulatory program where they were finding contamination and turning it over to the FDA and causing recalls.”
In other words, it’s okay for testers to gather data and to help growers/sellers determine whether contamination levels are changing over time, but Heaven forbid that information be used to actually prevent the distribution of contaminated produce and keep people from being poisoned.
The next time one of these Tea-GOP idiots holds a town hall — today would be particularly appropriate — be a patriot and bring along any left over produce you’d rather not eat. Then just ask why they want to poison our kids, and respond to the answer accordingly. Apparently nothing else is working.
More on E. coli dangers:
BBC, Deaths from E.coli still rising in Germany Along with 35 deaths, so far:
At least 3,255 people have fallen ill, mostly in Germany, of whom at least 812 have a complication that can be fatal.
About 100 patients with damaged kidneys will need transplants or life-long dialysis, one health expert said.
37 Comments
What Would You Do If Someone Tried to Feed E. Coli To Your Children?
Trick question am I sane or a Free Market GOPer or Ron Paul? Me I would stop them. I suspect the GOP and Ron don’t eat at Wallmart or feed their cats Chinese cat food.
However I could be wrong Obama fed his kids Gulf Shrimp.
and he is a DOCTOR……….oy
PUBLIC HEALTH,PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION….there i said it
Congress is moving to eliminate the only national program that regularly screens U.S. fruits and vegetables for the type of E. coli that recently caused an deadly outbreak in Germany.
The House last month approved a bill that would end funding for the 10-year-old Microbiological Data Program (MDP), which tests about 15,000 annual samples of vulnerable produce such as sprouts, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cantaloupes and cilantro for pathogens including salmonella and E. coli.
If the Dems had a brain they would run against this non stop with pictures of sick and dead kids who got sick or died despite our current levels of regulation.
Pictures of sewage water ( make sure to describe the smell) being used on farms, mention that GOP senator in Oregon who lost his seat recently because news came out his family farm was using sewage water and was selling frozen veggies nationwide.
Mention farmers to cheap to provide bathrooms picking the crops heck a simple light weight 1 gallon bucket of water and a bar of soap anti fungicide, anti microbe soap the farm workers can wash their hands with after they go to the bathroom would cut down on E.Coli on the farms that don’t use sewage water would help.
Without money to inspect farms farmers use sewage water because its cheaper and they CAN.
Is a bucket of water and a bar of soap really to much expensive government regulation when you look at all the photos of dead kids.
Then close the tv commercial with the total number of E.Coli deaths in America.
Yes restaurants spread E.Coli but they are inspected more than farms and have soap for their workers to wash their hands the restaurants are doing their job.
Even with the best regulations yes some E Coli will slip through but we should work to reduce that number.
When GOPers attack this as a government expense we ask how many times lobbyists take them to lunch to eat sewage treated food.
We ask them if they want to give up their healthcare.
We ask them if they will make public what the Federal Government health insurance they have spends on E Coli cases?
We hammer the cost inlives, the cost of medical treatment, resulting bankruptcies from medical treatment if the bread winner dies or gets behind in the bills because they get sick and then we point out the cost of more enforcement and the cost of a gallon of water and a bar of soap for every 10 farm workers.
Normally I would make a joke about Witch or Vodoo Doctors…but I think Witch and Vodoo Doctors mention Ron and America’s lack of Healthcare when they make jokes about American medicine.
The high cost of which I am sure is helping their business.
new strain….guess it doesnt warrant any ANALYSIS/…JUST SHOOT ME/
America is now being beat by Cuba in life expectancy. Hispanic Immigrants who can’t afford meat much Meat is a great way to get E.Coli live longer than other Hispanics despite often being too poor to get health insurance.
Yes I know the GOPers explain this as self selection only the healthiest cross the border but immigrant farm workers only live into their 40′s despite the farm workers brining the average down immigrants still live longer than 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanics who live longer than Whites who have much greater health insurance coverage.
We are the only industrial nation in the world that does not insure everyone but we spend more on health insurance than the rest of the industrial world does.
Yet those who get health insurance don’t live longer than our poorest immigrants who don’t get health insurance?
Obviously the cause must be investigated this should be a National Emergency just how much does E.Coli and farm chemicals shorten life spans?
Lets say it takes 10 pounds of corn to make a pound of beef that means for every 1 pounds of beef you eat you get ten pounds worth of the chemicals that were sprayed on the corn.
Add in E.Coli which you are much more likely to get from meat unless every farmer is using sewage water on their crops and you might explain why Whites die sooner than first generation Hispanics.
Excepting of course Hispanic farm workers who get sprayed with chemicals and of course have malnutrition problems because they don’t make enough to buy a balanced diet.
The next time a GOPer argues against Immigrants getting rights we should demand Congress eat like an immigrant farm worker would.
This will effect American farm exports if we don’t test for it is Japan and South Korea still banning our meat because we refused to test for mad cow?
American farm exports for meat, fruit and veggies could be effected if we don’t test for it.
Any bets Obama won’t do a thing as the American food industry ships the most questionable food to be sold in African American neighborhoods and African countries assuming that the genetically modified food companies allow the competition.
the oily Gulf shrimp went to the Army…..wonder how much ended up in CATFOOD?
Taco Bell is doing shrimp tacos every seafood place I see has specials on shrimp
Have not been to Taco Hell in a while but I must go soon to ask them if their shrimp tacos come from the Gulf. Every other place I have gone to swears No they don’t use Gulf Shrimp.
Just who is buying Gulf Shrimp is my question and do they know they are buying it?
2 minds think alike,i asked the cook at Long John Silvers
Mmmmmm…..E, Coli. Tastes like chicken.
Tomorrow’s headline today:
“FDA Approves Salmonella”
http://www.theonion.com/articles/fda-approves-salmonella,2679/
VERY simple solution.
The Roman emperors used a long time ago.
We make anyone and everyone who votes for this law an “OFFICIAL TASTER” for the country.
Another yoyo Republican idea. “You’re on your own.”
At some point you HAVE TO ask how many of these Congressional “representatives” are sociopaths?
Maybe they lack any compassion for people who may die as a result of food contamination.
Maybe they are gambling that the odds are against them being one of the people who is sickened or dies from food poisoning and they have far greater concern about keeping their wealthy campaign contributors happy.
However you look at it, this reflects an on-going moral decay of our society.
Yep. It’s not possible to write satire. The Onion is now the accurate chronicler of our times.
I think the burden of proof is for them to prove they’re not sociopaths.
I seriously doubt the personnel (even at the manager level) know the answer to that question. Their answer would probably be, “From our warehouse…”
It’s the 4th of July, and I’m not so sure that things have ever been so fucked up in this country.
Who can forget their headline after Bush stole the 2000 election:
“Bush: Our Long National Nightmare of Peace and Prosperity Is Now Over” (or words to that effect)
You got that RIGHT….OH thats RIGHT they are republicans what do you expect? Some rational brains???
Or… you could eliminate food poisoning altogether with irradiation.
Plausibly deniable genocide is what it is.
Hey, remember the Nestlé boycott?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestlé_boycott
And I have reason to trust that irradiation is safe because the Government that refuses to check for mad cow and now wants to stop checking for E.Coli is I am to believe really concerned about my health?
I am living in cuckoo land! Along with my conservative neighborhood being blitzed with miniature flags on everyone’s lawn, I will retreat to my couch with good mystery and begin writing letters tomorrow.
I have no children. *Whew.*
Republicans are fascist terrorists, and are totally insane and evil to boot…
or how about
extremely ignorant.
Is that you, Dick Cheney?
Billions for oil companies who do not need it at all, Billions for Millionaires/ Billionaires who don’t need it either, Millions for corporate jets, but safe food costs too much. Is that about it?
I sincerely doubt O fed his kids that. Two options: 1. shrimp from somewhere else or shrimp harvested before the gulf disaster, or 2. completely fake.
I personally think #1 is easier to accomplish and therefore more likely.
TVA coal ash spill a while ago, the mayor of one of the two towns drank water publicly and said their water was safe. Same thing happened.
Second.
Never in my life thought that would be a “good” thing until the last couple of years, when it gets worse on a daily level.
These jackasses could care less about real people. After all, members of Congress have genuinely good health insurance, which we as taxpayers provide. And, if that fails, their corporate benefactors will step and buy them and their families new kidneys.
i have had food poisoning that turned to pancreatitis
EXCRUCIATING PAIN hospitalized for 10 days…lost 30 lbs…looked like a skeleton for 6 months…when i went to my hairdresser,she went in the back room and cried..i got better though
707,707!!!!snort
lol
At first I thought, wow, what a crazy post for the 4th of July. But then why not, given the insanity of our present times. Reflecting on the opening lines of the declaration, I wonder what a statement for our times would look and sound like. How about someone at the Lake writing a declaration for us.
Thanks for the info on the issue and thanks to the commenters for their perspective on this and related matters.
blessings