ALFALFA!

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FOOD AS FILTH: ANOTHER OUTBREAK FROM SH*T IN FOOD

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE:
"Food Safety & Inspection Service: Fact sheets"
"Salmonella Questions and Answers"



YOUR CORPORATE GOVERNMENT AT WORK:
PUTTING SH*T ON YOUR TABLE EVERY DAY

Where's That "Change," Obama? SH*T!

Cantaloupes. Bell peppers. Spinach. Lettuce. Tomatoes. Jalapenas. Peanuts. Pistachios. Sprouts. Every month or two, another item in our food supply turns up with human or animal feces in it or on it, in massive quantities, all over the country. We don't hear about it until months after the initial outbreaks. Because the priority is to protect profits, not people. Because the corporations own our government, lock, stock & barrel. And if that means you have to eat a little sh*t, then you'll just have to eat a little sh*t. If you die, you die.

Doesn't seem like food experts should have that much trouble telling sh*t from food. Do they really need someone to remind them that sh*t is not food, sh*t is poison?

Apparently, they do. But Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats, i.e. Lite Republicans, have been taking money from "agribusiness" for years, in exchange for letting them put sh*t in our food. There are virtually no inspections. Almost nobody is making sure our food is clean and pure today. No one even seems to know where the food is even coming from any more.

Call it "American Roulette." Every time you feed your kids or your elderly parents, your students or your teachers, your friends or your neighbors, your customers or your suppliers, you might be putting actual human or animal feces in their mouths. You might be eating sh*t yourself. You'll just have to chance it. Because, thanks to the conservative "philosophy" of taking money from big business to look the other way, the only way to tell if there is coliform bacteria in your food is to eat it. If you get sick and die, you can thank the Republicans and DINO's, especially those from the farming and food-processing States. If you live and don't get sick, well, that's just luck. Because there is no system to protect you any more.

For that you can thank Richard Nixon, Gerry Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Barack Obama. They are all from farming & food-processing States. And they dismantled, watered down or just ignored regulations put in place a hundred years ago to protect the American food supply. They did this for money and power. They did this with the greedy, power-hungry assistance of the United States Congress. You might want to write them and demand that they stop betraying their country. Or you might want to start a move toward socialism and throw them all out of power.

But you don't actually have the right to do that. They'd kill you, lock you up or ruin you somehow. And you don't have the right to clean food and good health, either. So, I guess you'll just have to eat sh*t and die. Or keep gambling with your health and maybe getting lucky, every time you put food in your mouth. Gulp.

PREVIOUS POSTS ON FOOD SAFETY & SALMONELLA OUTBREAKS

Find & write your representatives in Washington, DC.

USA TODAY
"Alfafa sprout warning issued"
This has been going on for over two months. And we're just hearing about this now? WHY???!!! Wouldn't want the shit-suppliers to lose any MONEY!!!

' The Food and Drug Administration is recommending consumers not eat raw alfalfa sprouts until further notice because the popular crunchy greens have been linked to a salmonella saintpaul outbreak in six states. Officials believe infected seeds, sold nationwide, are the source of the outbreak. The warning does not include bean and other types of sprouts. There have been 31 cases of salmonella saintpaul in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia linked to alfalfa sprouts since mid-March, FDA says. No deaths have been reported. The current outbreak appears to be an extension of an outbreak that sickened more than 100 in February and March in Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota, officials say. Raw sprouts have been linked to several outbreaks of salmonella over the past two decades, FDA says. Salmonella can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps and usually lasts four to seven days. It is especially dangerous to the elderly, infants and people with impaired immune systems. '

THE DAILY GREEN.COM
"FDA and CDC Warning: Eat No Sprouts"
Salmonella = shit, folks. Call a spade a spade, you f**king bureaucrats.

' Americans should not eat any raw alfalfa sprouts, or sprout blends containing alfalfa sprouts, until the origins of a salmonella Saintpaul outbreak has been determined, according to the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The do-not-eat warning is most important for the elderly, young children, and those with compromised immune systems, who are at high risk of serious complications from a salmonella infection. So far, 31 people have taken ill since mid-March in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia, and federal investigators warned that illnesses may be present -- but as yet undiagnosed -- in other states. Federal investigators say the seeds of alfalfa sprouts may be the source of salmonella, since multiple sprout growers in multiple states all appear contaminated. (The widespread outbreak also suggests that growers have failed to adhere to voluntary sanitary guidelines, according to the FDA and CDC, because best practice guidelines call for disinfection with calcium hypochlorite before planting, and routing testing to detect salmonella or E. coli contamination before sprouts reach consumers.) "Because suspect lots of seeds may be sold around the country and may account for a large proportion of the alfalfa seeds currently being used by sprout growers, and cases of illness are spread across multiple states, FDA and CDC are issuing this general advisory (not to eat any alfalfa sprouts)." '

REUTERS
"FDA warns of salmonella in sprouts"
Would they "work with" criminals or terrorists in perpetrating their crimes? Or would they just shut them down? Hard to say, These are Feds. They let the World Trade Center get bombed. Twice. And they knew about it in advance. Maybe they were "working with" them.

' "FDA will work with the alfalfa sprout industry to help identify which seeds and alfalfa sprouts are not connected with this contamination, so that this advisory can be changed as quickly as possible." '

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Suggestion Box & Tip Jar We would like to make over this blog to make it easier to access, to read and to comment on. We would also like to serve our readers better by providing more of what you need and want to see. All serious suggestions will be considered. We hope to move to our own domain in the near future, and we would like to ask for your financial assistance in doing that, and in upgrading our hardware & software. Small one-time donations and larger long-term subscriptions are welcome. Exclusive advertising is also available. If you think we are wasting our time in doing all this, please let us know. If you wish to help us, now is the time. As always, negative bullsh*t from right-wing trolls will be sh*tcanned. Thank you to everyone else. Please send feedback & PayPal contributions to cosanostradamusATexciteDOTcom. Thanks.

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NUTS! SH*T! TOGETHER!

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DON'T EAT PISTACHIOS: THEY HAVE RATSH*T IN THEM

MMMMMMM RATSH*T!



Let's See How Obama Handles Food Safety (Couldn't Be Any Worse Than Bush)

So far, so good. They're at least PRETENDING they know the source of the poisoned nut products. But do they? Or is this just the beginning of yet another endless round of bullsh*t? It took Bushco and his corporate masters six months to a year to respond to the poisoned tomatoes, peppers, peanuts, etc. How long before the Democrats sort this out? Is their response so far just bullsh*t? Ratsh*t plus bullsh*t, bad combo.

The food industry is running scared. Having lost billions in previous food poisoning scandals, they are finally beginning to recognize that food safety is in their own best interest. After years of railing against "government regulation," some food companies are now asking for more inspections, and a more robust food safety system. How far this will get once the Republicans and Blue Dog conservative Democrats in Congress get involved is up to you, the voter.

Let your representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate and the White House know that you want your food supply secured, right now. Don't wait until you get sick, get arthritis, or lose a child, a senior or a person already in poor health, just because of poorly-inspected foods: Hundreds of thousands are sickened, and nobody knows how many of them die every year from food-borne pathogens in the United States of America. Food safety is do-able. But we're just not doing it. Demand that we do.


CONTACTING THE CONGRESS
"Online Directory for the 111th Congress"
Please write your representatives in Washington today: Just input your zip code.

WHITEHOUSE.GOV
"CONTACT US"
Let the new Administrationknow how you feel about food safety.

YAHOO NEWS
"FDA says to avoid pistachios amid salmonella scare"
At least they're not waiting until people die, this time.

' Federal food safety officials warned Monday that consumers should stop eating all foods containing pistachios while they figure out the source of a possible salmonella contamination. Because Setton Pistachio shipped tote bags of nuts weighing up to 2,000 pounds to 36 wholesalers across the country, it will take weeks to figure out how many products could be affected, said Jeff Farrar, chief of the Food and Drug Branch of the California Department of Public Health. "It will be safe to assume based on the volume that this will be an ingredient in a lot of different products, and that may possibly include things like ice cream and cake mixes," Farrar said. "The firm is already turning around trucks in transit to bring those back to the facility." Salmonella, the most common cause of food-borne illness, is a bacteria that causes diarrhea, fever and cramping. Most people recover, but the infection can be life-threatening for children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. For nuts, roasting is supposed to kill the bacteria. But problems can occur if the roasting is not done correctly or if roasted nuts are re-contaminated. That can happen if mice, rats or birds get into the facility. '

CNN
"FDA: Hang on to your pistachios"
Are they fixing the underlying problems, or not?

' If you have a stash of pistachios in your house, pistachio ice cream in your freezer or trail mix in your backpack, don't eat any of it. Wait until an inquiry into possible salmonella contamination is further along, advises FDA Associate Commissioner David Acheson. He said the FDA is "ahead of the curve" in the current investigation. "I want to emphasize that this recall was not triggered because of an outbreak, in contrast to some of the previous situations, for example, like the peanuts where people were getting sick and it was determined that peanuts, peanut butter was the likely cause," Acheson said. "This is a situation that the recall is being triggered because of ... action taken on the part of the food industry," he added. "What we're doing here is getting out ahead of the curve. It's a proactive approach by the FDA and the California Department of Health." Jeff Cronin, spokesman for the advocacy organization Center for Science in the Public Interest, had a mixed reaction to Acheson's comments. "I think it's partly the case," Cronin said. "It's good that the FDA is proactively issuing advice to consumers." But "this still begets the question of 'how did this contamination happen in the first place?' Is this an isolated problem, or are we going to be hearing the same kind of horror stories that we heard about ... the company that produced the peanuts?" He said he wondered when was the last time the FDA visited Setton Farms and whether it had known of problems there. In February, the Texas Department of State Health Services ordered the recall of all products shipped from the Peanut Corporation of America's plant in Plainview, Texas, after discovering dead rodents, rodent excrement and bird feathers in the plant. The company's peanut butter and peanut paste products produced at its plant in Blakely, Georgia, were linked to a nationwide outbreak of salmonella poisoning that affected 600 people, nine of whom died. According to state health officials and many experts, the deadly outbreak of salmonella was fueled by poor oversight by food safety regulators and a slow response by federal agencies. The first problem is that almost nothing can stop companies from shipping contaminated food, William Hubbard, a former FDA associate commissioner, told a U.S. Senate committee in February. He also said there are not enough federal inspections. '

GUARDIAN ONLINE
"US food safety officials issue pistachio nut recall"
Beef? Global? Iran? There's a LOT we don't know about pistachios! We have a feeling we're about to get educated.

' US food safety officials have recalled more than 1m pounds (454,000 kilograms) of pistachio nuts from more than 30 states after traces of salmonella were found in batches sold by a California company. The agency said it first learned of the problem last week, when food industry giant Kraft Foods traced salmonella contamination in a brand of trail mix back to Setton. The agency warned the recall could affect many products because the nuts are widely used as a food ingredient in everything from beef dishes to ice cream. The recall covers a fraction of the more than 400m pounds of pistachios grown every year in California, which accounts for 98% of US production. In 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the US was the world's second-largest producer of pistachios behind Iran, according to the United Nations. The US is also a top exporter of pistachios, accounting for about 14% of global trade. '

CONSUMER AFFAIRS.COM
"Kraft Recalls Trail Mix Containing Pistachio Nuts"
So, you can get arthritis from eating health food? That explains all the old fogies limping around the health food store.

' “Our advice to consumers is that they avoid eating pistachio products, and that they hold onto those products,” Dr. David Acheson, the FDA’s assistant commissioner for food safety, said. “The number of products that are going to be recalled over the coming days will grow, simply because these pistachio nuts have then been repackaged into consumer-level containers.” FDA officials said they learned just a few days ago, on March 24, that Kraft Foods’ Back to Nature Trail Mix had tested positive for salmonella. Kraft identified the source of the contamination as pistachios from Setton and notified the FDA. Kraft and the Georgia Nut Co. also recalled the Back to Nature Nantucket Blend trail mix the following day. In rare circumstances, the organism can get into the bloodstream and cause more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis, and arthritis. '

US FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION
"Pistachio Product Recalls: Salmonella"
They're makin' a list, checkin' it twice, the FDA knows who's naughty or nice...

' List of Latest Company Recalls: * Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Inc. Announces Nationwide Recall of Pistachios Because of Possible Health Risk * The Georgia Nut Company Issues Voluntary Recall of Certain Snack Products Containing Shelled Pistachio Nuts Because of Possible Health Risk * Back to Nature Foods Company Conducts Nationwide Recall of Nantucket Blend Trail Mix Containing Pistachio Nuts Because of Possible Health Risk * Kroger Recalls Shelled Pistachios Due to Possible Health Risk '

US CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
"About Salmonella"
"Salmonellosis"
Salmonella has it's own home page! Who knew! Your tax dollars at work, we guess. Does it have a FaceBook page, though?

' -What is salmonellosis? Salmonellosis is an infection with bacteria called Salmonella. Most persons infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without treatment. However, in some persons, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. In these patients, the Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness. -Are there long term consequences to a Salmonella infection? Persons with diarrhea usually recover completely, although it may be several months before their bowel habits are entirely normal. A small number of persons with Salmonella develop pain in their joints, irritation of the eyes, and painful urination. This is called Reiter's syndrome. It can last for months or years, and can lead to chronic arthritis which is difficult to treat. Antibiotic treatment does not make a difference in whether or not the person develops arthritis. '

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Suggestion Box & Tip Jar We would like to make over this blog to make it easier to access, to read and to comment on. We would also like to serve our readers better by providing more of what you need and want to see. All serious suggestions will be considered. We hope to move to our own domain in the near future, and we would like to ask for your financial assistance in doing that, and in upgrading our hardware & software. Small one-time donations and larger long-term subscriptions are welcome. Exclusive advertising is also available. If you think we are wasting our time in doing all this, please let us know. If you wish to help us, now is the time. As always, negative bullsh*t from right-wing trolls will be sh*tcanned. Thank you to everyone else. Please send feedback & PayPal contributions to cosanostradamusATexciteDOTcom. Thanks.

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS: BRING THEM ALL HOME ALIVE, NOW!