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Rat meat in demand in Cambodia as inflation bites
The price of rat meat has quadrupled in Cambodia this year as inflation has put other meat beyond the reach of poor people, officials said on Wednesday.
With consumer price inflation at 37 percent according to the latest central bank estimate, demand has pushed a kilogram of rat meat up to around 5,000 riel (69 pence) from 1,200 riel last year.
Spicy field rat dishes with garlic thrown in have become particularly popular at a time when beef costs 20,000 riel a kg.
Officials said rats were fleeing to higher ground from flooded areas of the lower Mekong Delta, making it easier for villagers to catch them.
"Many children are happy making some money from selling the animals to the markets, but they keep some for their family," Ly Marong, an agriculture official, said by telephone from the Koh Thom district on the border with Vietnam.
"Not only are our poor eating it, but there is also demand from Vietnamese living on the border with us."
He estimated that Cambodia supplied more than a tonne of live rats a day to Vietnam.
Rats are also eaten widely in Thailand, while a state government in eastern India this month encouraged its people to eat. The price of rat meat has quadrupled in Cambodia this year as inflation has put other meat beyond the reach of poor people, officials ... more -
: Cooking Meat Made Our Ancestors Smarter
"After two tremendous growth spurts — one in size, followed by an even more important one in cognitive ability — the human brain is now a lot like a teenage boy.
It consumes huge amounts of calories, is rather temperamental and, when harnessed just right, exhibits incredible prowess.
The brain's roaring metabolism, possibly stimulated by early man's invention of cooking, may be the main factor behind our most critical cognitive leap, new research suggests.
About 2 million years ago, the human brain rapidly increased its mass until it was double the size of other primate brains.
"This happened because we started to eat better food, like eating more meat," said researcher Philipp Khaitovich of the Partner Institute for Computational Biology in Shanghai.
But the increase in size, Khaitovich continued, "did not make humans as smart as they are today."
For a long time, we were pretty dumb.
Humans did little but make "the same very boring stone tools for almost 2 million years," Khaitovich said.
Then, only about 150,000 years ago, a different type of spurt happened — our big brains suddenly got smart.
We started innovating. We tried different materials, such as bone, and invented many new tools, including needles for beadwork. Responding to, presumably, our first abstract thoughts, we started creating art and maybe even religion.
To understand what caused the cognitive spurt, Khaitovich and colleagues examined chemical brain processes known to have changed in the past 200,000 years.
Comparing apes and humans, they found the most robust differences were for processes involved in energy metabolism."
More at link! "After two tremendous growth spurts — one in size, followed by an even more important one in cognitive ability — the human brain ... more -
Dairy Industry short animated film: The Meatrix II
Critically-acclaimed, award-winning Meatrix movie - The Meatrix II: Revolting
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USDA refuses to ban sick "downer" cows from U.S. food supply
Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer has rejected calls to ban downer cattle from the U.S. food supply.
Downer cattle are those too sick or injured to stand. Because these cows are at a higher risk of carrying the fatal, incurable neurological disorder known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, the USDA prohibited their slaughter in 2004.
This regulation was relaxed in 2007 to allow the slaughter of any animal that collapses after an initial veterinary inspection, as long as it is re-examined and slaughtered separately.
The Humane Society of the United States has sued the FDA to close this loophole, and Sen. Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee has also called for a complete ban on downer cows from the food supply. In addition, Kohl has called for stiffer penalties for companies that violate the ban, and for the installation of 24-hour surveillance cameras at meat processing plants.
The recent controversy over downed cows erupted after an undercover Humane Society employee videotaped workers at a Westland/Hallmark slaughterhouse hosing, shocking, dragging and even using forklifts to move downed cows into the kill area.
"These images exposed wholly unacceptable gaps in American meat inspection systems," Kohl said. "Despite the presence of five inspectors at the Westland/Hallmark plant, blatant violations had evidently occurred for some time ... I think we need a more foolproof system."
Testifying before the appropriations subcommittee, Schafer said that he believes current rules on downed cows to be adequate.
"I do believe there are cases where downer animals can be approved by the veterinarian and put into the food supply," Schafer said. "They are not sick."
According to USDA documents, cows with broken limbs, even those that appear otherwise healthy, are 50 times more likely to have mad cow disease than animals that can stand on their own. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer has rejected calls to ban downer cattle from the U.S. food supply. ... more -
Eat Skippy the Kangaroo and save the planet...
Australian scientists have recommended their beef-loving compatriots switch to kangaroo meat to clamp down on the methane emissions that bovine burger precursors pump out into the atmosphere.
George Wilson and Melanie Edwards, of eco consultancy Australian Wildlife Services, propose the scheme in the conservation biology journal, Conservation Letters.
Wilson and Edwards reckon that “removing seven million cattle and 36 million sheep by 2020" would reduce Australia’s annual greenhouse emissions by three per cent.
Seems like a perfect idea to me. Kangaroo is the perfect free range meat, it is lean and tasty (very similar to game).
What other animals could we eat? I'm all for crocodiles (only because they scare me). Australian scientists have recommended their beef-loving compatriots switch to kangaroo meat to clamp down on the methane emissions th... more -
Beef recalled after cases of poisoning
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9 A hamburger packing plant in Los Angeles has recalled 153,630 pounds of raw beef after as many as 70 people in Virginia have come down with food poisoning, the Pasadena Star-News reported on Saturday. The recalled beef was suspected of being contaminated by E. coli bacteria which might originate from the S & S Foods company, the paper said. Until the exact source was pinned down, the packing plant was voluntarily recalling the ground meat, said the paper. But Virginia health officials have identified the beef as tainted, and said at least 26 Boy Scouts from the Washington D. area have been hospitalized. The meet has not been sold to retail shoppers, but was only wholesaled to institutional customers from some distribution centers in the nation, according to the paper. "We are recalling the product from distribution channels until we can determine whether illnesses in Virginia are connected to our operations or have some other original source or cause," said Jeff Grohs, a vice president at S & S Foods, in an e-mail to the Pasadena Star-News. Virginia health officials said dozens of Boy Scouts have come down with strain 0157:H7 of E. coli bacterial infections. One scout remained hospitalized, and 26 others have needed medical care, some in hospitals. None of the affected ground beef was sold in California, the company said. LOS ANGELES, Aug. 9 A hamburger packing plant in Los Angeles has recalled 153,630 pounds of raw beef after as many as 70 people in Vir... more
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Salmonella scare linked to Subway outlets
Dawn Farm Foods, which supplies the Subway chain, has withdrawn some of its cooked meat products due to a salmonella scare.
The company said that as a precaution it had withdrawn batches of beef, chicken and bacon from the made-to-order sandwich trade.
Potentially contaminated meat was supplied to Subway, which has confirmed that specific batches of its Philly Style Steak and Chicken Fajita products have been withdrawn from sale. Dawn Farm Foods, which supplies the Subway chain, has withdrawn some of its cooked meat products due to a salmonella scare. ... more -
Meat spaghetti - the new food fad?
My friend Erik posted about this on Vegan.com This stuff sounds disgusting!
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Shock at Uganda dog meat arrests
Residents of Uganda's capital, Kampala, have expressed shock at the arrest of two men believed to have been passing off dog meat as goat.
The BBC's Joshua Mmali says dog meat is not eaten in Uganda and the subject has dominated radio discussion programmes. Hundreds of people went to the police station where the suspects were being held to express their anger, Uganda's state-run New Vision paper reports. One of the suspects told the paper he had not intended to sell the meat.
"This is my home dog which I have been rearing. I killed it on demand of my spirits who directed me to offer its body parts to them," he was quoted as saying. The men were caught with the carcass of the dog, which had had its head and tail cut off.
"We are investigating information that the suspects own a butchery in one of the city suburbs where they sell such meat," Inspector Bernard Otim told New Vision. Residents of Uganda's capital, Kampala, have expressed shock at the arrest of two men believed to have been passing off dog meat ... more -
A quarter of a ton is fly-tipped in a Welsh park
Yummy! Boxes of raw meat and animal carcasses have been found dumped near Llanelli's Millennium Coastal Park.
The seven boxes of butchers' waste weighing about a quarter of a tonne were found on the verge at Burry Port Woodlands on the weekend. Carmarthenshire council said it was a serious environmental health hazard.
The Welsh Food Fraud Agency, part of the Food Standards Agency, has been asked to investigate documentation and identifying detail on the packaging. The council said if a business was found to have deliberately dumped the waste it could face fines in excess of £10,000. Yummy! Boxes of raw meat and animal carcasses have been found dumped near Llanelli's Millennium Coastal Park. ... more -
80s Estonian meat commercial
Does not make me want to buy meat.
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EU food safety experts say no to cloned meat
Selling meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring is expected to be rejected by EU watchdogs today.
Experts at the European Food Safety Authority are understood to have raised serious questions about animal welfare and food safety.
The conclusions represent a major U-turn for an organisation which initially supported clone farming in a draft report earlier this year.
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More at link.
Now, hopefully the EU will also include genetically modified animals and crops to their ban, and send Monsanto packing. Selling meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring is expected to be rejected by EU watchdogs today. ... more -
The writing's on the bone: 'Allah meat' astounds Nigerians
Diners have been flocking to a restaurant in northern Nigeria to see pieces of meat which the owner says are inscribed with the name of Allah.
What looks like the Arabic word for God and the name of the prophet Muhammad were discovered in pieces of beef by a diner in Birnin Kebbi.
He was about to eat it, when he suddenly noticed the words in the gristle, the restaurant owner said. A search of the kitchen's meat revealed three more pieces which bore the names. The meat was boiled and then fried before being served, owner Kabiru Haliru told newspaper Weekly Trust.
"When the writings were discovered there were some Islamic scholars who come and eat here and they all commented that it was a sign to show that Islam is the only true religion for mankind," he said.
The restaurant has kept the pieces of meat for visitors to see.
Thousands of people have already gone to the restaurant to see them since they were discovered last week.
A vet told the newspaper the words "defied scientific explanation".
"Supposing only one piece of meat was found then it would be suspicious, but given the circumstances there is no explanation," Dr Yakubu Dominic said.
Yum yum. Last week's meat for restaurant visitors to pore over before they eat (I hope) slightly fresher dishes from the restaurant. It's enough to make you hungry! Did you ever find Jesus's face inscribed on your toast? Would you bite his halo'd head off? When I was seven I found 'Satan' spelled out in my Alphabetti Spaghetti but I suppose it doesn't count. Diners have been flocking to a restaurant in northern Nigeria to see pieces of meat which the owner says are inscribed with the name o... more -
Steak tastes good because of its social power?
According to groundbreaking new research the reason that a beef burger tastes better than a veggie burger to some people has more to do with values than actual taste.
Authors Michael W. Allen (University of Sydney), Richa Gupta (University of Nashville), and Arnaud Monnier (National Engineer School for Food Industries and Management, France) conducted a series of studies that examined the symbolic meaning of foods and beverages. They found that when it came to tasting meat or soft drinks, what influenced participants was what they thought they had eaten rather than what they actually ate.
The authors note that meat has an association with social power, and people who scored high in the authors’ Social Power Value Endorsement measure believed that a meat-containing item tasted better than a vegetarian alternative, even when both products were actually identical (one was mis-represented). According to groundbreaking new research the reason that a beef burger tastes better than a veggie burger to some people has more to d... more -
Have you wondered about the illusion of food?
In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk. In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much... more
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Bad meat: Be informed!
"Beginning next month, consumers will be able to check an online list of stores that sold or stocked recalled meat. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) secretary Ed Shafer said the move is designed to prevent stores from continuing to sell tainted food and, also, alert consumers who might be at risk if they shopped at certain markets."
Finally! They should do this with other foods too, especially produce, which they also discuss briefly in the article. "Beginning next month, consumers will be able to check an online list of stores that sold or stocked recalled meat. U.S. Departme... more -
Is your local grocery store selling tainted meat?
It will soon get a lot easier to tell if you're at risk for buying meat products involved in a government recall.
The USDA will begin listing retail stores receiving meat and poultry products involved in Class I recalls - those of the most serious concern to public health - instead of just providing package codes and expiration dates, as it does now. This way, consumers can easily identify if meat they have already purchased might be involved in a recall.
More on this article ... It will soon get a lot easier to tell if you're at risk for buying meat products involved in a government recall. ... more -
Mystery of the meat-eaters' molecule
Our inability to produce a chemical present in every other primate may be linked to a series of chronic diseases. Roger Highfield explains more
What does it mean to be human? For most people, it all comes down to that extraordinary object between our ears, and how it blesses us with language, laughter and logic. But not for Ajit Varki, a doctor-cum-scientist who works in California.
For him, being human is also about a single chemical that separates us from our closest relatives, and which could be linked to many of our most debilitating illnesses.
The story began in 1984, when Prof Varki was working at the University of California, San Diego. When treating a woman with bone-marrow failure, he injected her with horse serum. The treatment carried the risk of a side effect called "serum sickness", in which the patient's immune system launches an attack on a molecule present in the serum called Neu5Gc.
Sure enough, her skin erupted with an itchy red rash. Investigating further, Prof Varki found that Neu5Gc was foreign to humans, even though we carry a very similar version of the same molecule - which may be one reason why animal-to-human organ and tissue transplants do not work well.
But in recent years, he has come to believe that the implications of this molecular difference are much wider. He has built up a range of evidence that potentially links Neu5Gc, a so-called sialic acid, to chronic disease.
This is because the animal version is absorbed by humans as a result of eating red meat and milk products, and there is evidence that the body views it as an invader.
Eating these foods could trigger inflammation and, over the long term, heart disease, certain cancers and auto-immune illnesses. Prof Varki stresses, however, that "we have not proven any link to disease, just suggested that it is something to explore". Our inability to produce a chemical present in every other primate may be linked to a series of chronic diseases. Roger Highfield expl... more -
Salumi Meat Society
Chris Cosentino is the head chef of San Francisco-based restaurant Incanto, and a former contestant on Iron Chef America. He is eccentric, charismatic and firm in his beliefs about cooking (includng Offal cooking, which means using all of the parts of an animal, including the heart, spine, kidneys, etc.). He is a meat lover and has created a company called Boccalone, which delivers cured meats on a weekly basis. Members of the Salumi society get together on weekends to taste these hand made artisan meats, much like a wine tasting club tastes wines. We'll talk to Chris, meet members of the Salumi Society and get a tour of the factory where the meat is made, to get a glimpse into this so-called Salumi "movement" Chris Cosentino is the head chef of San Francisco-based restaurant Incanto, and a former contestant on Iron Chef America. He is eccen... more
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All so you can have a burger
Three cows too sick or weak to stand were sold at the Portales Livestock Auction in Portales, N.M., the Humane Society of the United States said. Such cows pose increased risk for mad cow disease, E. coli and other infections, partly because they typically wallow in feces and their immune systems often are weak.
But the facility’s owner said he was certain that there was “no way” a so-called downer cow could have gotten into the food supply, and a top federal official agreed.
More on the story below this video from The Associated Press, broadcast June 25, 2008. Warning: some viewers may find this video disturbing. Three cows too sick or weak to stand were sold at the Portales Livestock Auction in Portales, N.M., the Humane Society of the United S... more
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