October 2008

In this edition... Health and Environment    Study: Farmed meat main source of serious bacteria infection    Threat of 'major global recession' tied to bird flu    Australia: Slaughter-house workers contract heart disease    Vegan diet good for Type 2 Diabetes    New study: Cancer risk in grilled chicken meals at leading restaurants    UK: Food agency to change advice following sustainability commitment Lifestyles and Trends    Veggie celebs: Heather Mills donates $1Million of vegan food to US kids    Toronto, Canada: New vegetarian food bank is booming    Ghanaians urged to take to vegetarian diet    Veggie dishes go haute    Parental guidance: New vegan magazine - not for kids Animal Issues and Advocacy    Humane Society asks the church: Where's your humanity?    Former cattle rancher, 'Mad Cowboy' Howard Lyman, criticizes factory farms    You heard it on Oprah: Factory farms stink    Proposed California law: For animals and our humanity    Japan slaughters thousands of dolphins, ignores protests Books, Movies and Perspectives    Author aims to help Australians choose a more ethical way to eat    'Earthlings' special extended DVD edition released    She's raw and loving it    Friendly cat changed lives, becomes subject of best-seller Of Note   Please help support VegE-News! We'll say thanks with a special gift. Click here. Don't forget to visit: (Excerpts are included from current news stories. Click on the "Full story" link to read the full article.)   Health and Environment     Study: Farmed meat main source of serious bacteria infection Full story: NutraIngredients Europe A new study has found that nearly all of the campylobacteriosis cases in the patients evaluated were caused by bacteria in animals farmed for meat, in particular chicken and cattle. Camplylobacter jejuni causes more cases of gastroenteritis in the developed world than any other bacterial pathogen, including E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridium and Listeria combined, claims the study. The findings of this study, published in the journal, PloS Genetics, found that in 57 per cent of the cases, the bacteria could be traced to chicken, and in 35 per cent to cattle. Meanwhile, resistance to antibacterials in animals is rising meaning that the risk of animal-based food becoming contaminated is higher. At the same time, antimicrobials are also becoming less effective in fighting human infections. Salmonella and Campylobacter, in particular, are becoming increasingly resistant to current antibiotic treatments. NutraIngredients Europe - September 26 Threat of 'major global recession' tied to bird flu Full story: IPS A severe outbreak of flu could kill tens of millions of people and spur a "major global recession," the World Bank is warning world leaders preoccupied with financial, food, and fuel crises. The bank has drawn up a worst-case scenario in which a flu pandemic could kill as many as 71 million people, cost some three trillion dollars, and cut global gross domestic product (GDP) by "almost 5 per cent, constituting a major global recession." Some experts have said the death toll could exceed 180 million people. Poorer nations face the greatest risk. [Crowding and inhumane treatment of domestic poultry has been identified as a major cause of bird flu.] IPS - October 17 From the archives: Bird Flu: A virus of our own hatching Journal of the American Medical Association (October 2007) Australia: Slaughter-house workers contract heart disease Full story: Sydney Morning Herald Two piggery workers have survived a potentially deadly disease of the heart valves after contracting a bug from animals bound for the abattoir. Doctors at Canberra Hospital have treated a 46-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man for fevers, sweating and severe weight loss caused by endocarditis, a serious condition where bacteria settle on the heart valves and spread infection throughout the body. The woman required a heart valve replacement to survive. The bacterium, Streptococcus suis, is common in pigs and can transfer to humans through contact with live or dead pigs, though exactly how is unknown. It has taken a heavy toll in the industry, most recently in 2005, when 215 Chinese butchers and meat processors became infected, killing more than half of them. Sydney Morning Herald - October 6 Vegan diet good for Type 2 Diabetes Full story: WebMD A vegan diet may do a better job of reducing cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients than a diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), according to a new study. Two out of three people with diabetes die of a heart attack or stroke, so reducing cardiovascular disease is a priority. The study was in part funded by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which promotes a vegan diet. "The results of this study suggest that, if followed for the long-term, a low-fat vegan diet may be associated with a reduced risk of major chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease," the study concludes. WebMD - October 1 New study: Cancer risk in grilled chicken meals at leading restaurants Full story: Foodconsumer.org A new PCRM study in Nutrition and Cancer: An International Journal found that grilled chicken items at leading chain restaurants are birds of a feather when it comes to increasing cancer risk. An analysis of 100 grilled chicken items from McDonald's, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Chili's, Applebee's, Outback Steakhouse, and T.G.I. Friday's found that all contained PhIP, the most abundant of a group of carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) - and the HCA likely to contribute most to overall cancer risk. The results found that the levels of PhIP contained in grilled chicken entrées, many of which are considered "healthy" menu selections, could contribute significantly to a person's total intake of carcinogens and may play a role in the development of breast, prostate, and other cancers Foodconsumer.org - October 8 UK: Food agency to change advice following sustainability commitment Full story: NutraIngredients, Europe The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has formalised a commitment to bring its decision-making process more in line with the government's policy on sustainable development, meaning it will have to reconsider some of its advice. For example, it currently advises consumers to eat two portions of fish each week, one of which should be oily. "Taking a sustainability approach involves considering not just the nutrition and safety evidence, but also wider sustainability issues such as fish stocks and the environmental impacts of fishing and fish farming," it said. NutraIngredients, Europe - October 13     Lifestyles and Trends     Veggie celebs: Heather Mills donates $1Million of vegan food to US kids Full story: Reality TV Magazine Heather Mills [Beatle Paul McCartney's ex] is promoting healthy diets for children. She [recently] donated one million dollars worth of veggie burgers, hot dogs, and chicken cutlets at a barbeque sponsored by Hunts Point Alliance for Children in the Bronx, New York. Mills told People Magazine, "My plan is to get healthy food out to kids and to get it in the service industry, get it in retail, make a fast-food chain around the world with healthy options and just keep doing my work behind the scenes." Reality TV Magazine - September 22 Toronto, Canada: New vegetarian food bank is booming Full story: Toronto Star, Canada Canada's only vegetarian food bank is barely five months old and already serving more than 200 people from two locations, its founders say. "We've been very busy," says Jessica Smith. "And I have a feeling with the economy doing what it's doing, we may get more." Smith, a vegetarian, helped set up the food bank with Malan Joseph in May. Joseph is a Catholic but his wife worships at the same Hindu temple as Smith. He says he saw the need for the food bank as waves of Hindu immigrants moved to the city but had trouble making ends meet. They went to food banks but, as strict vegetarians, they could not use much of what they were given. Toronto Star, Canada - October 3 Ghanaians urged to take to vegetarian diet Full story: Public Agenda, Ghana The President of the Vegetarian Association of Ghana (VAG), Nathan Adu has urged Ghanaians to cultivate the habit to become vegetarians since the practice would immune one's system from many diseases and extend one's life span. "In order to save our lives and the planet we must keep away from meat, lower our sugar standards, avoid cutting down of trees and plant more trees instead," he advised. He also called on the government to help educate people to patronize locally produced foods. The occasion was a news conference organized by VAG to commemorate the International Week on Global Warming. Public Agenda, Ghana - October 6, 2008 Related: Australians asked to "chop out meat" for a day to help planet Parramata Sun, Australia (September 17, 2008) Veggie dishes go haute Full story: National Post, Canada I was talking to a young chef named Howard Dubrovsky the other day, and he mentioned he was going to be doing a cooking demo at [the Toronto Vegetarian Association's] 24th annual Vegetarian Food Fair, which didn't really pique my interest at all, until he mentioned what he'd be preparing: "risotto nouveau (sushi rice powder instead of arborio rice), dried salad (seasoned dehydrated veggies), aromatics (Indonesian long pepper and coffee oil)" and then "pure chocolate mousse, corn sheets, cookie crumbles, popcorn sprouts, tandoori masala syrup." What the hell, I thought. And then he said, "It's the New Theory Vegetarianism." Dubrovsky's out to change the way vegetarians eat. .. "I hope that people take the momentum from haute cuisine and apply that to vegetarian food and see that it can be as diverse and as innovative as any other kind of cuisine," he says. National Post, Canada - October 10 Related: New wave vegetarian dining offers sophisticated choices Miami Herald, FL, U.S. (October 9) Vegan recipe a winner in magazine contest St. Catharines Standard, ON, Canada (October 6) Parental guidance: New vegan magazine - not for kids Full story: PR-Inside [With tongue firmly planted in cheek,] publishers of a new ethical vegan magazine due to debut on World Vegan Day November the 1st - have denied their magazine Off the Hoof has been subject to censorship over its x-rated content. It targets adult vegetarians and eco consumers with no holds barred content. "We've allowed an endless amount of drivel in this magazine's first edition, nothing was censored. We are hoping it's so bad that respected ethical journalists the world over will submit articles for free so that the 2nd edition of the magazine isn't so embarrassing to the international vegan community" says the editor, vegan pub landlord Al Slurry from publishers the Yaoh hemp company, Bristol, UK. PR-Inside - October 21     Animal Issues and Advocacy     Humane Society asks the church: Where's your humanity? Full story: Jackson Sun, TN, U.S. The Humane Society of the United States released a film called Eating Mercifully as part of its new "All Creatures Great and Small" campaign. In the film, Dale and Elaine West share how their Christian faith led them to give up their meat consumption. The couple lives on a farm that has been turned into an animal sanctuary. The film examines Christian perspectives on factory farming. Some of those featured in the film call for humane treatment of farm animals and some, like the Wests, advocate not eating animals at all. Eating Mercifully is part of the Human Society's Animals and Religion program, which started a year and a half ago, said Christine Gutleben, spokeswoman for the society. The emphasis of this new campaign is to encourage religious people to promote the good stewardship of animals, Gutleben said. Jackson Sun, TN, U.S. - October 18 Former cattle rancher, 'Mad Cowboy' Howard Lyman, criticizes factory farms Full story: Orion University, CA, U.S. Cannibalism isn't something a normal person would consider. In fact, most people find it horrifying. But while most of society turns its head at the idea, it is being practiced in the factory farms today, said Howard Lyman, vegan and author of Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat. Not only do cows eat grass and grain, but without realizing it, they often eat their own species. Factory farms use hormones and chemicals to beef up their cows in an attempt to create a better product, Lyman said. But because of horrible living conditions, cattle can be fine in the morning but be found dead the next day. "So what they do with these dead cows is grind them up then feed them back to the cows," he said. "And if that animal is infected, they can spread disease one to another. . . We don't all have to agree on the diet we choose, but we have to agree that this planet is the only one we have," Lyman said. "We need to think about where we're going and we need to do it in this generation." Orion University, CA, U.S. - October 15 You heard it on Oprah: Factory farms stink Full story: Huffington Post That ringing you hear is the sound of the death knell for the "don't ask, don't smell" era of factory farming. Oprah Winfrey's [October 14] show, "How We Treat The Animals We Eat," blew the lid off the battery cage egg industry, shining a long-overdue light on the bleak, black underbelly of sunny-side up. Investigative reporter Lisa Ling had to don a sanitation suit and cap before leading her camera crew through an industrial egg facility where 87,000 chickens were crammed into criminally close quarters and covered in, well, chicken sh*t. Words could hardly convey her revulsion at the stench, but the look on Ling's face said it all; factory farm egg production in America is an abomination. . . Because, you know, it's just impossible to produce eggs in a safe, humane way at a reasonable price in this country. Then Oprah brought out the small-scale farmers who produce eggs in a safe, humane way at a reasonable price in this country. Huffington Post - October 15 Proposed California law: For animals and our humanity Full story: Los Angeles Times [By "Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals" author Karen Dawn.] Ten years ago, I received a brochure that included a picture of sows locked up in coffin-size crates. The brochure stated that the intelligent animals were confined that way for life. I remember my reaction: horror, then denial. That had to be illegal! I learned later that such confinement was standard industry practice in the United States. Californians have the opportunity in November to pass Proposition 2, which would enforce changes. To save just one animal from living immobilized, many people would head to the polls, and this bill would affect thousands of calves and pigs and millions of birds. Last week, Oprah Winfrey did a [TV] special on the confinement of animals in which a farmer said he couldn't judge if the 750 sows locked in individual crates were "happy" - as if you can't judge if your dog is "happy" when he bounds around just before his walk. Still, he speculated that the animals were content. Viewers heard that as they watched the confined animals pitifully pushing their snouts through the bars in front of them or chewing on those bars incessantly. Oprah told her audience, "The way we treat the least among us determines our humanity." Los Angeles Times - October 21 Related: Emergency "Yes! on Prop 2" campaign Farm Sanctuary Prop. 2 allows hens room Los Angeles Daily News (October 20) Editorial: Standing, stretching, turning around Quote: No philosophy can justify this kind of cruelty, not even the philosophy of cheapness. To a California voter still undecided on Proposition 2, we say simply, imagine being confined in the voting booth for life. Would you vote for the right to be able to sit down and turn around and raise your arms? - New York Times (October 8) r Humane Society of the United States: Egg firms fix prices, mask cruelty Reuters (September 24) Australia: Anti-battery campaign in Tasmania steps up ABC News, Australia (October 20) Factory farms are repeat offenders Quote: Of course repeat food offenders couldn’t abuse the environment, workers, animals and the public without a steady stream of undocumented workers. Undocumented workers are afraid to quit, complain or whistle blow. Big meat is predicated on undocumented workers and without them the U.S. couldn’t afford its own cheap meat habit. - Dissident Voice (August 28) From the archives: Undercover video on pig farm abuse PETA Japan slaughters thousands of dolphins, ignores protests Full story: M&C At Taiji, a quaint whaling town 700 kilometres south of Tokyo, waves lap against steep rocks of a popular national park. However, visitors are kept well away from the slaughter happening in a secluded lagoon nearby. Japanese fishermen, backed by the country's government, are slaughtering thousands of dolphins off the coast, while ignoring both international protests and concerns over contaminated dolphin meat being sold to the public. Between October and April, some 16,000 to more than 20,000 of the animals are killed in the annual hunt, in Taiji and other Japanese fishing towns, often cruelly stabbed with knives, hooks and lances. Part of the marine mammals' flesh is sold in Japan, despite warnings of high-level mercury contamination, animal rights activists said. "This is a scandal," said O'Barry, a former trainer of dolphins for the U.S. television series Flipper. M&C - October 13 Related: Dolphin meat bad for the health, say Japanese scientists Quote: A new study by two Japanese universities found that residents of Taiji, a whaling town on the Pacific coast, who frequently ate the meat of pilot whale - a member of the dolphin family - have mercury levels 10 times the national average. - Guardian, UK (October 16)     Books, Movies and Perspectives     Author aims to help Australians choose a more ethical way to eat Full story: Sydney Morning Herald Some think vegetarianism a lifestyle choice but one author says there are good environmental reasons for it, writes Sherrill Nixon. At 16 Angela Crocombe chose to stop eating red meat because she was an animal lover. It was not the most informed decision, but one that felt right for a teenager who had always preferred fresh fruit to fish and chips. Two decades later, with years of environmental research behind her, the Melbourne author has a much better argument for cutting meat out of her diet. And she has laid it out in her latest book, Ethical Eating, which seeks to teach Australians "how to make food choices that won't cost the earth." As far as Crocombe knows, it is the first publication to take a comprehensive look at ethical eating from an Australian point of view. It investigates where and how our food is produced, packaged and sold, attempts to untangle the complex debates about farming methods, food miles and product certification, and carries a list of Australian suppliers of organic produce. Sydney Morning Herald - September 10 'Earthlings' special extended DVD edition released Full story: MarketWatch Nation Earth, a film production company dedicated to socially urgent issues, [on October 13] released a new special edition DVD of its award-winning film Earthlings, a feature-length documentary about the suffering of animals used for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered one of the most persuasive documentaries ever made, Earthlings is nicknamed "the Vegan maker" by fans for its frank, straightforward presentation of the day-to-day practices in some of the largest industries in the world. MarketWatch - October 13 She's raw and loving it Full story: Waterloo Record, ON, Canada Rose Vasile's life has taken some interesting twists in the past decade, from intense insurance executive and pack-a-day smoker to laid back advocate for the raw food movement. It's a life path that has earned the affable 57-year-old the nickname RawRose. [She] is the author of the self-published Uncooking with RawRose: Your Guide to Raw Foods. "I got far more into raw foods, how the body heals itself," she explained. "You are what you eat." Waterloo Record, ON, Canada - October 18 Friendly cat changed lives, becomes subject of best-seller Full story: CNN He was a yellow tabby with twinkling green eyes, who arrived in the overnight drop box of a farmland library one frigid January night. Dewey Readmore Books became the library's star boarder and an international celebrity. Now he's the subject of a best seller [Dewey, the Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World, by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter] that chronicles the struggles of the library worker who found the trembling kitten, the town that embraced him and Dewey himself. Myron says her book is a story of unconditional love, companionship and pulling yourself up by the bootstraps during tough times. "Hopefully, it's a message of hope for people because the economic times now are very similar," she says. [We don't usually include books not directly related to vegetarianism/veganism, but this one we just couldn't resist.] CNN - October 20 Visit our VegE-Store For books featured in this issue of VegE-News and more. Thanks for your support!     Of Note     A note for veggie organizations and members If you are a vegetarian organization that would like to discuss having your own customized version of VegE-News, let us know. We are pleased to produce customized versions of VegE-News for the Australian Vegetarian Society, Vegetarians of Alberta, Toronto Vegetarian Association, and Winnipeg Vegetarian Organization with their logo, a link to their website and local events listed. If you are a member of one of those organizations, but not receiving the customized version, just drop us an email if you would like us to switch you to the specific list. Email VegE-News 'Tis the season recipes The holidays are fast approaching. Find easy, delicious vegan recipes as well as a wealth of 'going veggie' tips at the link below! You can also find seasonal recipes on our VegE-News note cards - the winter scene cards make lovely holiday greeting cards with an added treat. Each has a tasty vegan recipe on the back. Recipes include: Festive Eggless Nog, Pistachio Stuffed Mushrooms, Squash & Apple Soup, New Year's Eve Leek, Cashew & Black Olive Penne, Festive Cranberry & Pear Salad, Apple Pear Sauce. VegE-News recipes VegE-News note cards If it works for Ellen Degeneres... Dr. Neal Barnard extols the benefits of a veggie diet in an entertaining short video from Extra TV. Quote: "Extra" Lifechanger Dr. Neal Barnard says a vegan diet is the way to go. What the doc prescribes might shock you, but he says it worked for Ellen DeGeneres! "Goodbye Meat, Hello Health" video - Extra TV (October 10) Activities of all sorts October has been a busy month with veggie activities planned around the globe, culminating in World Vegan Day November 1. Check out events on the International Vegetarian Union's website and contact John Davis, IVU Manager, to add more! World Vegetarian Month - world events - IVU Contact IVU World Vegan Day Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project For Thanksgiving - "Turkey Day" - this year, our family salutes our adopted turkey from Farm Sanctuary. Check out the gallery of adoptees, including our own handsome dude "Oak" at the link below. Then read about the recent rescue of Autumn Turkey and her chicken friends from the streets of Harlem in New York City. You can also join in a new Thanksgiving tradition at the California or New York sanctuaries on U.S. Thanksgiving day November 22. Adopt-A-Turkey Stray “mystery” birds from Harlem come home Celebrations New Dutch doc highlights the most 'inconvenient truth' about global warming The documentary Meat the Truth, which had its international debut October 3, is the first major project undertaken by the Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation. It is a high-profile documentary, presented by Marianne Thieme (leader of the Dutch Party for the Animals), which forms an addendum to earlier films that have been made about climate change. It points out that livestock farming generates more greenhouse gas emissions worldwide than all cars, lorries, trains, boats and planes added together. "Meat the Truth" Animal rights activists weigh in on U.S. elections Looking to give a voice for the voiceless in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, the Humane Society of the United States has endorsed Democratic candidate Barack Obama " for his continued support of animal welfare issues at both the state and national level." Meanwhile the Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin has been denounced by animal activists and Brigitte Bardot has written a scathing letter to the self-professed gun-toting "hockey mom." Humane Society endorses its first presidential candidate - Quad City Times, IA, U.S. (October 15) Sarah Palin under intense fire from animal rights groups - Los Angeles Times, CA, U.S. (October 10) Open letter to Sarah Palin from Brigitte Bardot - EVU (October 7)   Note: Whenever possible, stories are linked to the original source. Some sites may require registration, and/or not archive the stories. All links were active at the time of publication. Follow these links to subscribe or unsubscribe to the VegE-News. For more information about this newsletter, contact: VegE-News Click here to view the VegE-News archives. Prepared as a public service by: To ensure that you continue to receive the VegE-News, please add the sender to your address book or safe list. This will help ensure that it doesn't get zapped by your spam filter and wind up in your JUNK or TRASH folder.