The FDA promoting big business at the cost of American health
A livestock drug banned in 160 nations and responsible for hyperactivity, muscle breakdown and 10 percent mortality in pigs has been approved by the FDA.
The beta agonist ractopamine, a repartitioning agent that increases protein synthesis, was recruited for livestock use when researchers found the drug, used in asthma, made mice more muscular.
Ractopamine is started as the animal nears slaughter.
How does a drug marked, “Not for use in humans. Individuals with cardiovascular disease should exercise special caution to avoid exposure. Use protective clothing, impervious gloves, protective eye wear, and a NIOSH-approved dust mask” become “safe” in human food? With no washout period?
The drug is banned in Europe, Taiwan and China, and more than 1,700 people have been “poisoned” from eating pigs fed the drug since 1998, but ractopamine is used in 45 percent of U.S. pigs and 30 percent of ration-fed cattle.
Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
Ractopamine, aka Paylean and Optaflexx, is banned in 160 countries, including Europe, Taiwan and China. If imported meat is found to contain traces of the drug, it is turned away, while fines and imprisonment result for its use in banned countries.
Yet, in the United States 45 percent of pigs, 30 percent of ration-fed cattle, and an unknown percentage of turkeys are pumped full of this drug in the days leading up to slaughter.
Why?
This drug, manufactured by Elanco Animal Health, increases protein synthesis. In other words, it makes animals more muscular … and this increases food growers’ bottom line.
Adding insult to injury, up to 20 percent of ractopamine remains in the meat you buy from the supermarket, according to veterinarian Michael W. Fox. Yet this drug is marked “Not for use in humans,” and is known to increase death and disability in livestock.
Why is Ractopamine Allowed in U.S. Meat?
While other drugs require a clearance period of around two weeks to help ensure the compounds are flushed from the meat prior to slaughter (and therefore reduce residues leftover for human consumption), there is no clearance period for ractopamine.
In fact, food growers intentionally use the drug in the last days before slaughter in order to increase its effectiveness.
“How does a drug marked, “Not for use in humans. Individuals with cardiovascular disease should exercise special caution to avoid exposure. Use protective clothing, impervious gloves, protective eye wear, and a NIOSH-approved dust mask” become “safe” in human food? With no washout period?” asks columnist Martha Rosenberg.
She answers:
“The same way Elanco’s other two blockbusters, Stilbosol (diethylstilbestrol or DES), now withdrawn, and Posilac or bovine growth hormone (rBST), bought from Monsanto in 2008, became part of the nation’s food supply: shameless corporate lobbying.
A third of meetings on the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s public calendar in January 2009 were with Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly — or about ractopamine.”
Massive Industry Lobbying Gets Agribusiness What it Wants … at Your Expense
Industrial agriculture lobbyists wield incredible power in Congress, and the fact that ractopamine is in U.S. meat is a shining testimony to this.
Time magazine put it quite well when they described current farm policy as “a welfare program for the megafarms that use the most fuel, water and pesticides; emit the most greenhouse gases; grow the most fattening crops; hire the most illegals; and depopulate rural America.”
There are too many conflicts of interest to name, but, for example, you may be surprised to learn that former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack is now the Secretary of Agriculture, an appointment that took place despite massive public outcry.
What was needed for an effective Secretary of Agriculture was someone who would develop and implement a plan that promotes family-scale farming and a safe and nutritious food system with a sustainable and organic vision.
What we got was yet another politician who’s already made room in his bed for the industry lobby. Overall, Vilsack’s record is one of aiding and abetting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) or factory farms (the ones that use chemicals like ractopamine) and promoting animal cloning.
Cozy Connections Allowed rbGH Hormones in Your Dairy Products, Too
Michael Taylor, a former vice president of public policy and chief lobbyist at Monsanto Company, is now the senior advisor for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Who is Michael Taylor?
He is the person who not only “oversaw the creation of GMO policy,” according to Jeffrey Smith, the leading spokesperson on the dangers of GM foods, but also oversaw the policy regarding Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH/rbST).
This growth hormone, which has been banned in Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand because of cancer risks and other health concerns, was approved in the United States while Taylor was in charge at the FDA. Smith writes:
“Taylor also determined that milk from injected cows did not require any special labeling. And as a gift to his future employer Monsanto, he wrote a white paper suggesting that if companies ever had the audacity to label their products as not using rbGH, they should also include a disclaimer stating that according to the FDA, there is no difference between milk from treated and untreated cows.”
Taylor’s white paper, which again was untrue as even FDA scientists acknowledged differences in the rbGH milk, allowed Monsanto to sue dairies that labeled their products rbGH-free!
In a similar vain, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine’s Office of Surveillance and Compliance sent a 14-page warning letter to Elanco regarding ractopamine three years after its approval for use in pigs. They accused the company of withholding information about “safety and effectiveness” and “adverse animal drug experiences.”
Nonetheless, the next year the FDA decided to approved ractopamine for use in cattle, too, and later for turkeys as well.
What Should You do if You Don’t Want Drugs and Chemicals in Your Food?
As the U.S. agriculture industry now stands, antibiotics, pesticides, GM ingredients, hormones and countless other drugs are fair game in your food. So if you purchase your food from a typical supermarket, you are taking your chances that your food is teeming with chemicals and drugs — even those that have been banned in other countries.
So please do your health a favor and support the small family farms in your area. You’ll receive nutritious food from a source that you can trust, and you’ll be supporting the honest work of a real family farm.
It all boils down to this: if you want to optimize your health, you must return to the basics of healthy food choices. Put your focus on WHOLE foods — foods that have not been processed or altered from their original state — food that has been grown or raised as nature intended, without the use of chemical additives, drugs, hormones, pesticides and fertilizers.
It’s as simple as that!
It is not nearly as daunting a task as it may seem to find a local farmer that can supply your family with healthy, humanely raised animal products and produce. At LocalHarvest.org, for instance, you can enter your zip code and find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, all with the click of a button.
Once you make the switch from supermarket to local farmer, the choice will seem natural, and you can have peace of mind that the food you’re feeding your family is safe. (click HERE for original article)
Sorry it’s been so long
Mrs. Gentry, Mr. Mason and Keelen and his new 9th gup belt
It’s been a while since I have posted here. Yes…I have been remiss! MsSparky.com has been keeping me busy for hours a day but I am happy to say we are making progress. Click HERE to read that. Keelen is keeping me hopping. He just turned 7 and is now a 9th gup in TaeKwonDo. He is clearly not one of the those easy “push button” kids. He tests and tests and tests and tests. But I am happy to say he is sweet and compassionate and not a mean person. He can be ornery, but he is not mean.
Tiffany is in her last two years. Woo Hoo. She may be able to get some taken off her sentence if they change the sentencing guidelines for Measure 11 crimes. Measure 11 has all but bankrupted the State of Oregon. I am not banking on an early release so as of now her release date is Dec 8, 2011.
I will try to do better about posting updates. I urge you to head over to MsSparky.com and see what’s going on in the corrupt world of Defense contracting.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer – IBC – The Silent Killer
Please take the time to watch this special report on Inflammatory Breast Cancer. It affects ages 16 on up. There is no cure but early detection can prolong your life or the life of your daughter, your wife, your mother, your sister, your friend. Please take the time to inform yourself.
Coffee Creek Endangers Inmates By Turning Off Heat To Save Money
I am so amazingly concerned about what has happened here. During the worst winter storm in nearly 40 years Coffee Creek Correctional Facility (CCCF) in Wilsonville, OR chooses to turn off the heat instead of paying the higher fuel rates. Endangering the health and safety of 1500 inmates. ONE OF WHICH IS MY DAUGHTER.
I understand all too well this is not a resort. It is a a prison. But…Tiffany was not sentenced to death. This decision that CCCF made was so amazingly irresponsible. I feel helpless. There is nothing I can do to help her.
Cold spell means cold showers at women’s prison
by Steve Mayes, The Oregonian
Saturday December 20, 2008, 2:18 PM
Inmates at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility learned Saturday morning that they weren’t immune from the crummy weather.
The prison is one of 180 large NW Natural customers who were given a choice: shift to the back-up fuel systems or pay higher rates during the current cold spell.
The prison, some universities and big manufacturing firms among others have “interruptible service contracts,” said NW Natural spokesman Cory Beck. Those customers pay lower rates because they agree to shift to an alternate fuel sources or pay higher rates under certain conditions, such as long periods of cold weather, Beck said.
The company notified customers a few days ago that it was imposing the requirement. It will be in effect until at least Monday, Beck said.
Until then, almost 1,500 Coffee Creek inmates won’t get hot showers or more than one hot meal a day, said Department of Corrections spokeswoman Jennifer Black. The Wilsonville prison started using it’s propane-fueled back-up system Saturday morning.
Can you “Google” that?
This is clearly a sign of the times….below is a conversation I just had with my 5 year old grandson Keelen.
We have been having some pretty bad winter weather and school has been canceled….argh!!! So all this week I have had an assistant. I am at my desk and deeply involved in some research I am doing for my Ms Sparky blog when the following conversation ensues.
Keelen: Grandma do spiders have hearts?
(I am deep in thought and he actually has to ask me twice to get my attention)
Keelen: (a little louder than before) Grandma do spiders have hearts?
Me: (It takes me a minute to snap out of my totally focused alter reality) Um. Um. Yeah. I think so. I’m sure they do.
Keelen: (evidently not totally convinced with my wishy washy answer, he responds) Can you “google” that?
When I was a kid the response to most of my questions were “Because I said so.” or “Just because.” Clearly those days are gone.
I guess before I try to BS my way through another one of those “Are you smarter than a 5th Grader questions” I will just say…”Let’s “google” that!”
FYI- Yes, spiders do have hearts…but they are very different from a human heart.
How I Got Hooked On Meth
It was a nice quiet Thanksgiving. Keelen went to Boise with his Dad, Step-mom and brother to visit his other Grandparents. Cal and I decided to keep it VERY VERY low key and went out for dinner. On Black Friday we went to America’s Largest Christmas Bazaar at the Portland Expo Center. We have been going since 1993 and this is one of our few Christmas traditions. Actually, it’s the Barbara Stories Rum Cake booth that starts calling to me in July!! This is the best rum cake in the world and they give away free samples!!
I decided to go visit Tiffany at the prison on Saturday. It was a nice visit, just her and I chatting and playing cards. Although it’s always nice to take Keelen to visit his mom, he totally monopolizes her time and there are just some conversations you can’t have with a 5 year old around.
Tiffany started to tell me about the recent drug bust in one of the units. They found drugs, needles, cigarettes and all kinds of contraband. Before every visit, I go through metal detectors and at times get “wanded”and patted down. I don’t understand how that stuff gets in there. Seriously…how do you smuggle in a pack of cigarettes? And why would you risk it? I started questioning (interrogating) Tiffany about the drug use. She has never failed a drug test in prison. Thank God for that. If she does….I swear she better hope they don’t let her out. I’ve already told her I am soooo done with this drug crap!
Then out of the blue she asked me “Do you know how I started taking Meth?” I was a bit shocked at the matter of fact way she asked the question.
Honestly…it had never occurred to me to ask her. I am not a “shades of grey” person. There’s black and white, right and wrong, good and bad….taking drugs is bad. End of conversation.
I could tell she was intent on telling this story and I could feel that “judgmental defensive mother” rising to the surface. What could possibly be a good excuse for taking Meth?
I quietly sat and watched her eyes as I listened to her tell her story. It was very short and to the point.
“I was a 19 year old single mom, working nights and trying to stay awake during the day as well. Keelen was a 1 year old. One night at work I was complaining about being so tired. A co-worker said “Here take this. It will keep you awake”. He handed me a pill. I didn’t know what it was, but I was desperate and I took it. That’s how it all started and it only got worse from there.”
That’s it? One little pill? No big drug dealing “gang banger”. No messed up “meth head”? One little pill? The decision made at that moment in time changed her life forever.
It is sad she felt so overwhelmed and alone. I was on the road working and wasn’t there to help her. I would be going to Iraq soon. Again, I wouldn’t be there to help her. Would she have even let me help her. I don’t know. She is very independent and stubborn. Hmmmm I wonder where she gets that?
I was very impressed with her ability to verbalize this moment. She wasn’t giving me an excuse or trying to justify anything. She was just stating a fact about a moment in time that altered her life dramatically. I just hugged her and thanked her for trusting me enough to tell me.
On the inside my heart was breaking and my “critical self” was savagely beating me up. I should have done this, I should have done that……the list of “woulda, shoulda, coulda” is endless.
One thing is certain, my little girl has grown into quite the amazing woman.
I Am Thankful My Daughter Is In Prison
Tiffany And Ethan At The Prison
When I tell people my daughter Tiffany is in prison, I normally get an “Oh….I’m so sorry”. I just respond, “Don’t be sorry. It’s OK….I’m thankful Tiff’s in prison.” That usually earns me an odd look.
But it’s true.
I am very thankful for those weekly 100 mile round trips to the prison to sit in a visiting room crowded with inmates, some who have committed truly unthinkable crimes.
I am very thankful for those phone calls from Tiffany that always seem to come when I am busy doing something else or just don’t feel like talking.
I am very thankful for those insane conversations about how bad things are in prison or how weird her “cellee” is.
I am very thankful she was pregnant when she was arrested.
I am very thankful she is in prison so I can now raise my other grandson Keelen.
I am very thankful she got 70 months.
I can hear it now. “Girl…you have lost your freakin’ mind! How can you be thankful for that?”
Well….every week I get see my daughter. I get to hug her and give her a kiss and I get to watch Keelen play games and read stories with his mom.
I get talk to Tiffany almost every night on the phone and Keelen gets to tell his mom about his day.
I get to watch Tiffany grow from a “wannabe” street thug into the amazing woman that I always knew she was with no interest in a life of crime.
I got to watch Tiffany give birth to a healthy baby boy, my second grandchild Ethan and in a selfless act of love give him to an amazing deserving adoptive couple that will raise him to know both his moms.
I know that Keelen is safe and well cared for and gets to have a relationship with both his mom and dad.
It is going to take the full 70 months for Tiffany to break this destructive cycle of drugs and unhealthy men.
Plus the brains behind this crime got 136 months. And if the person he assaulted had died, Tiffany could be doing life!! So…WOO HOO only 70 months!!
There are many many parents with children that were traveling down the same path as Tiffany. And they now have to visit their children in the cemetery. So, yes…I am very thankful Tiffany is in prison.
What are you thankful for?
Happy Thanksgiving
Debbie
Don’t Be A Victim!
(This post was originally posted on Ms Sparky on May 31, 2008. I moved it to Blue Behind Bars when I separated my personal blog from my political blog.)
If you read my “I Got Mugged In Istanbul” blog you remember that my bank accounts were seriously compromised because I used a public computer in Istanbul to check my account status after being mugged.
Here is an excerpt from an article I just read on this very subject entitled: “7 Surefire Ways To Become and ID Theft Victim” by Sheyna Steiner (to read this article click the link above)
For maximum risk, commit the computing equivalent of licking a handrail in a New York City subway station and do some online banking on a public computer — like the one at the library or a public cafe. Bonus points are added if your Social Security number is your user ID for any transactions.
Evidently, I did the equivalent of licking a handrail in a New York City subway station. That analogy just makes me want to gag!!!!
This is an informative and well written article with some humor thrown in. You may be amazed at how often you put yourself at risk. Can you answer yes to any of the following questions:
1. Do you use a wireless network in your house?
2. Do you mail out checks for bills from your mailbox?
3. Do you carry your Social Security card in your wallet or purse?
4. Do you ever give personal information via email?
If you answered yes to any of these question, do yourself a huge favor and read the article. I thought I was totally educated on protecting myself from identity theft and I learned a lot.
For every defense we take to protect ourselves, identity thieves are counter attacking. It’s a freakin’ war!!!
Ms Sparky
I Got Mugged In Istanbul-Part 1
(This post was originally posted on Ms Sparky on May 20, 2008. I moved it to Blue Behind Bars when I separated my personal blog from my political blog.)
When Cal and I were working in Baghdad we took the opportunity to take our R&R’s in places we had always wanted to visit. We spent our first R&R in Cairo, Egypt riding camels and exploring the pyramids at Giza. We had decided we were going to spend our next R&R in Phuket, Thailand. When Phuket was hit by a devastating tsunami in December 2004, we decided to go to Istanbul, Turkey instead.
Istanbul (aka Constantinople) is a very old and beautiful city. There are an abundance of attractions such as The Topkapi Palace, The Hagia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, The Grande Bazaar, The Spice Market and The Orient Express to name only a few. The museum at Topkapi Palace was my favorite. It is the home of the Spoonmaker Diamond (aka The Kasikci Diamond). A single 86 carat stone surrounded by 49 individual stones (see photo) That would look soooo good on my finger!!
Unfortunately, Istanbul is also the pickpocket capital of the world. Read more
I Got Mugged In Istanbul-Part 2
(This post was originally posted on Ms Sparky on May 21, 2008. I moved it to Blue Behind Bars when I separated my personal blog from my political blog.)
Continued from “I Got Mugged In Istanbul-Part 1-See Below
Fortunately, Cal had enough taxi fare to get us back to our hotel where there was an internet cafe. I needed to contact Wells Fargo Bank so I logged into my Wells Fargo account. I checked my accounts and and after several tries was able to contact Wells Fargo via the “International Number” and cancel my cards. It would appear I had acted quickly enough and had averted any potential damage to my accounts. So I thought.
I then contacted the US Consulate. I was so afraid I was going to be stuck in Istanbul for weeks without a passport. But, do to the large number of US Citizens needing replacement passports, the US Consulate in Istanbul is one of the few in the world that can make you a temporary passport “while you wait”.
I didn’t sleep well that night. I just replayed the mugging over and over in my head. What could I have done differently? How could I have prevented this? Why was I targeted? Who knows, but being the victim of anything is just not OK with me.
The next morning we headed out bright and early to the US Consulate across town. There was a shop owner right across the street that took passport photos….how convenient. Read more
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