Ecoli and you

[crazy canuck]

In Canada we are again going through another Ecoli in the beef scare.  Other countries go through the same thing every few years.  People in the media express their amazement that such a thing can happen and all blame gets put on the plant the meat was processed.

But why doesnt anyone in the media mention the real issue - the reason Ecoli baceria is in the guts of the cows in the first place.  Industrial farming raising cattle on corn instead of grass.

[merithyn]

Is there proof that that's the case?

I know it's a common annecdote, but I didn't know that there were any studies proving it to be the case.

[Barrister]

In Canada we are again going through another Ecoli in the beef scare.  Other countries go through the same thing every few years.  People in the media express their amazement that such a thing can happen and all blame gets put on the plant the meat was processed.

But why doesnt anyone in the media mention the real issue - the reason Ecoli baceria is in the guts of the cows in the first place.  Industrial farming raising cattle on corn instead of grass.

Never heard of anyone in Alberta feeding corn to cows though, and it's an Alberta plant that had the E-Coli scare.

[crazy canuck]

Is there proof that that's the case?

I know it's a common annedote, but I didn't know that there were any studies proving it to be the case.

Its pretty basic.  Cows do not eat corn as a natural food source.  They are fed corn because it is cheap and heavily subsidized.  Because cows are not adapted to eat corn, when they ingest it, their stomachs become acidic.  A grass fed cow by comparison has a neutral acidity in its stomach.

The consequence of all this?  The bacteria that forms in a grass fed cows stomach(s) is killed when it is ingested by humans becuase of course our digestive system is highly acidic.  However the bacteria which survives the acidity of a corn fed cows digestive system is not killed off in our digestive tract.  One of those strains of bacteria which found in a cow that is corn fed is Ecoli.

The reason Ecoli does not form in grass fed cows (or at least not as easily) is because it is outcompeted by the numerous strains of bacteria that are harmless to us - all of which are killed off when a cows stomach(s) because acidic.  Which leaves the ecoli bacteria room to grow and thrive.

[viper37]

I don't think it's related.  Deers can have the disease in the wild.  Unsure about mooses.

Besides, cows we raise strictly for food are usually kept outside* and given cut grass for food rather than corn.  They forage on the land + what is given to them.  Those who are fed on corn are the milk cows, usually kept indoor all year long.  Same with pigs and chicken.  Chicken are also fed their own excrements.

Yet, we're talking about the goold old cows raised outdoor.

They still use a lot of genetics to grow them, but food-wise, it's mostly grass.


*Depending on the location, stables may still be necessary for winter time to avoid too many losses.

[crazy canuck]

In Canada we are again going through another Ecoli in the beef scare.  Other countries go through the same thing every few years.  People in the media express their amazement that such a thing can happen and all blame gets put on the plant the meat was processed.

But why doesnt anyone in the media mention the real issue - the reason Ecoli baceria is in the guts of the cows in the first place.  Industrial farming raising cattle on corn instead of grass.

Never heard of anyone in Alberta feeding corn to cows though, and it's an Alberta plant that had the E-Coli scare.

That plant processes a lot of beef from factory farms - and not just from Alberta. It is true that there are still a lot of ranches there that raise grass fed beef (thank goodness).  My butcher sources his beef from one such ranch.  Typically those smaller operations will send their beef to small scale slaughter houses.  But there are also industrial feed lots in your province as well.

[crazy canuck]

I don't think it's related. 

The lack of knowledge around this is what drives me crazy.

[crazy canuck]

Btw, if you have never heard of it BB, just check out the industry website 
http://www.albertabeef.org/industry/beef-production-chain/

Feedlot FinishingHistorically, cattle were finished in small farm feedlots. Today, highly specialized cattle feedlots feed most of the province's cattle to market weight. Alberta's natural resources and climate are especially suitable to the cattle feeding industry. There are now 4,000 feedlots in Alberta, making the province the fifth largest cattle feeding area in North America.

Although feedlots can range in size from a capacity of few hundred head to almost 40,000 cattle at one time, the larger-sized feedlots now finish the majority of cattle in Alberta. About 100 feedlots with capacities over 1,000 head produce at least 75 per cent of the finished beef cattle in the province. The feedlot system produces a consistently uniform and high quality beef product for the consumer. Alberta's feedlot industry is primarily located in the south central and southern regions of the province, in close proximity to the beef processing plants located in southern Alberta.

Its the large feedlots that are the problem.  They are feeding the cattle corn - not grass.

[merithyn]

Would finishing cause the issue you're addressing? I mean, to finish cattle with corn is only giving them that for the final couple of weeks that they're alive, usually, while they're rounding them up to get them ready for slaughter.

[Malthus]

I don't think it's related. 

The lack of knowledge around this is what drives me crazy.

Well, to be fair, "the influence of feeding patterns on e. coli etology in modern beef processing" is not exactly the sort of thing that is really likely to be common knowledge - though no doubt it makes for amusing dinner-time conversation. 

[crazy canuck]

Would finishing cause the issue you're addressing? I mean, to finish cattle with corn is only giving them that for the final couple of weeks that they're alive, usually, while they're rounding them up to get them ready for slaughter.

It depends.  They only need to be there long enough to turn their stomach acidic.  I dont know how long that takes.  But most cattle are there more than just a couple weeks.  A lot of cattle are put on corn as soon as they are weaned because it is a cheap alternative feed.  So the finishing you are talking about often takes place with cattle that have already been given a heavy diet of corn.

[crazy canuck]

I don't think it's related. 

The lack of knowledge around this is what drives me crazy.

Well, to be fair, "the influence of feeding patterns on e. coli etology in modern beef processing" is not exactly the sort of thing that is really likely to be common knowledge - though no doubt it makes for amusing dinner-time conversation. 

Exactly why the lack of such information in the media reporting on these kinds of issues does drive me nuts.  Not the fact that Viper doesnt know it.

[garbon]

I don't really see what this thread has to do with the relationship between ecoli and myself.

[merithyn]

It depends.  They only need to be there long enough to turn their stomach acidic.  I dont know how long that takes.  But most cattle are there more than just a couple weeks.  A lot of cattle are put on corn as soon as they are weaned because it is a cheap alternative feed.  So the finishing you are talking about often takes place with cattle that have already been given a heavy diet of corn.

No, that's different. Finishing is specific to grass-fed cattle who are being prepared to be slaughtered. Otherwise, they're called grain-fed cattle. By law - at least in the US - there has to be a distinction due to labeling requirements.

[merithyn]

I don't really see what this thread has to do with the relationship between ecoli and myself.

Knowledge is power?

If you limit your diet to grass-fed beef, according to CC, you do not run the risk of getting E-coli.