This was not good news for the food industry.
The fact that people are dying from consuming food purchased at a supermarket REALLY says we need to clean up our food industry and farming practices (where meat production is concerned). We currently have a Conservative government which is basically owned by Big Beef, and won't lift a finger to do so. This is reflected in the Conservatives EASING OF TESTING via Health Canada, and cutbacks to funding.
Once again, rural Alberta's interests come before Canadians', or Canadians' health.
Canada needs a ban on meat products being fed to meat products... Yeah, that's right... Right now, big commercial feedlots are feeding mashed up cow parts to the same cows that give you steak and hamburger... Mmmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, tasty! Science has shown that diseases like mad cow and Creutzfield-Yakov (spelling?) are caused and spread by the consumption of infected nervous tissue of diseased animals. We let this practice continue. Why? Because the industry like bigger, fatter cattle hopped up on hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. Could this possibly be good for us? We're seeing the results.
Recently, we've seen that links have been established between Crohns Disease, and beef - particularly seeing a related organism being passed between infected cattle. We also know for a fact that infected cattle have entered the Canadian food chain. Europe has a ban on harvest of cattle with the Crohns-like illness (which European scientists HAVE linked to Crohns in humans). The Harper government - even after repeated warnings from scientists - has done nothing. Well, "done nothing" is a little extreme... They did do something - they cut funding to the testing agencies. Sounds like a pretty clear answer back to those scientists, doesn't it?
The bottom line with this government is, they will not bring about any changes that may (or may not) negatively impact the cattle or oil industry in their Alberta heartland. The fact that there is more money in organic farming - especially if the government steers Canadians to such a healthy diet - does not register with these people. They are fans of the giant multinational factory farms, and the meat-like substances they produce.
The MNC-farm lobby (Cargill, AMD, etc.) is HUGE in Canada.
The Conservatives are their best friends... We're seeing the results.
Pity.
(The attached image is from the "almostamerican" blog)
