THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 12, 1997 TAG: 9701100001
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 29 lines
The Food and Drug Administration is to be commended for proposing a ban on the feeding of ground-up carcasses of cows, sheep and goats to other ruminants. The ban is designed to prevent the spread of the infamous ``mad cow'' disease. Consumers of meat from diseased animals contract the fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which progressively destroys brain tissue.
Unfortunately, the proposed ban is too little too late. Too little because the ban should be extended to all farm animals afflicted by the disease, including pigs, turkeys and chickens. Unlike cows, these animals are slaughtered before the clinical symptoms appear, but the infectious agent is still transmitted to the consumer. Too late because thousands of American meat consumers may already carry the deadly CJD agent that takes as many as 20 years to exhibit its tell-tale symptoms.
Fortunately, CJD is relatively rare. On the other hand, heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases that have been linked conclusively with consumption of animal fat and meat cripple and kill prematurely nearly 1.4 million Americans each year. The only safe course for concerned consumers is to follow the advice of leading health authorities by replacing meat and other animal products in their diet with whole grains, vegetables and fresh fruits.
NORMAN L. VINCENT
Norfolk, Jan. 3, 1997