STILL EATING MEAT? - CANCEROUS BEEF SOLD TO CONSUMERS AND WALMART MEAT LACED WITH LSD

It's not just the ethical issues, the way industrial farm animals live lives of hell, and are killed in horrible ways.  It also concerns your health and that of your children.

 

Two meat-related scandals became known to consumers  in the past few days - There are countless other infractions that go unnoticed and unreported.

 

SLAUGHTERHOUSE ACCUSED OF SELLING MEAT WITH CANCER

 

SAN FRANCISCO -- Rancho Feeding Corp., the Petaluma, California, slaughterhouse that recently recalled 8.7 million pounds of beef, is under criminal investigation by the federal government for killing and selling meat from dairy cows with cancer, according to sources who would speak only on the condition of anonymity.

 

Rancho was allegedly buying up cows with eye cancer, chopping off their heads so inspectors couldn't detect the disease and illegally selling the meat, the sources said.

 

Although it's against federal law, experts say eating the meat isn't likely to make people sick. So far, no one has reported becoming ill from eating the meat.

 

The huge recall and criminal investigation hasn't just affected Rancho. Private cattle producers, who used the facility for custom slaughtering, have also been swept up, leaving the shelves with a dearth of local, natural and high-end beef.

 

Read more - http://www.sfgate.com/health/article/Slaughterhouse-accused-of-selling-meat-from-cows-5267836.php

 
And here - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2567794/Slaughterhouse-sold-meat-cows-cancer-cut-animals-heads-fool-food-inspectors.html

 

WALMART SOLD MEAT LACED WITH LSD

CUSTOMERS SUFFERED HALUCINATIONS

 

Florida family hospitalized after eating meat laced with LSD

 

ABC NEWS - Florida family, which included a pregnant woman, were hospitalized after consuming meat laced with the hallucinogenic drug LSD, according to the Tampa Police Department.

 

The family of four was sickened Monday night  and did not initially know what caused the “mysterious illness,” but the county medical examiner’s office determined it was the psychedelic drug, officials said.

 

“It is still under investigation how the drug ended up in the family’s meal,” according to the police statement. “At this point, it is not clear if a crime has occurred.”

 

The woman, Jessica Rosado, 31, was nine months pregnant and doctors induced labor, authorities said.

 
Read more
http://www.examiner.com/article/family-hospitalized-after-eating-meat-with-lsd-mom-goes-into-early-labor
 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2576025/Pregnant-woman-goes-labor-early-young-children-rushed-hospital-family-ate-WalMart-steak-laced-LSD.html
 
 
RELATED
 
VIDEO 'FROM FARM TO FRIDGE'
The cruel mistreatment of animals by the farm industry
 http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2014/01/from-farm-to-fridge-video-exposes.html

Video alone -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFlAR1rITpM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Horrific animal cruelty perpetrated by factory farms
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/12/horrific-animal-cruelty-perpetrated-by.html

The case of Pink Slime
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/08/remember-pink-slime-in-your-hamburger.html

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FOOD FRAUD - THE HIDDEN INGREDIENTS, EVEN IN MILK

Fish, honey, milk, orange juice, and olive oil - what do they all have in common? They top the list when it comes to food fraud. 

 Cheap imitations are filling up grocery store shelves.

"One of the ways that happens is by substituting one ingredient for another. It's hard for consumers," said Dr. Mark Stoeckle, a Senior Research Associate in the Program for the Human Environment at The Rockefeller University.

High cost ingredients are especially susceptible to fraud, says Stoeckle. More expensive products are being replaced with cheaper imposters.

The top fraudster foods: olive oil. Even the extra-virgin kind is the most adulterated food, usually cut by hazelnut oil, which could pose a dangerous threat to those with nut-allergies.

Even milk can contain added sugar and salt, and skim powder - none of it listed on the label.

 Tea bags are sometimes being filled with lawn grass.

 

More expensive white tuna is switched for cheaper escolar.

Your favorite juice is mostly apple, even if it's labeled blueberry or cranberry.

 

Honey is also one of the most common faux foods. Some are diluted with sugar syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup. And according to Food Safety News, some honey being shipped from China is laced with antibiotics and heavy metals.

 Marianne Petrino sells her own honey at the farmers market.   But if you can't make your own, how do you protect yourself and your family? First, buy a whole lemon instead of lemon juice. Buy loose leaf tea instead of tea bags. Purchase whole spices, but don't buy into the newest food trend. And most importantly, rely on reputable sources you can trust. That means buying locally, if you can.

Activists believe there also needs to be a push for more testing and regulation on foods coming from overseas.

Source - http://www.khou.com/news/health/Food-fraud-a-growing-problem-in-grocery-stores-236733491.html

Resource link 
U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention food fraud database


RELATED

Dangerous ingredients in foods, including tea bags
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/07/dangerous-fluoride-levels-in-non.html


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CHICKEN PUMPED FULL OF WATER AND ADDITIVES BEFORE SALE IN THE UK

 

The following report is about chicken sold in Britain.  In a global economy, one has to question whether these practices exist in other Western countries as well.

 

DAILY MAIL - What's really in supermarket poultry: Chemical sludge. 'Meat glue'. Pig skin. If only water was ALL they pumped into your chicken.

After the horsemeat scandal of earlier this year, we now have the chicken fiasco, where major chains have been exposed for selling frozen chicken with shockingly high levels of added water.

 

An investigation this week revealed that some chicken breasts on sale in the UK are made up of no less than 20 per cent water.  What you think is a juicy chicken breast may in fact have been pumped full of water, either mechanically injected or through an industrial process known as tumbling — and what is worse, chemical additives are also added during the procedure.

 

The study highlighted one case of raw, frozen chicken breasts imported from Brazil into Britain and then sold in our supermarkets.  While still in Brazil, salt and corn oil were added to the chicken breasts.

 

Once in Britain, the breasts were thawed out and put through the vacuum-tumbling process. This saw water and chemical additives absorbed into the meat, increasing its weight and giving it a juicier, but wholly unnatural, texture. The breasts were then re-frozen and sold in the aisles of major retailers such as Aldi, Asda and Iceland.  A curious double standard seems to be in operation here: home cooks are sternly warned never to re-freeze previously frozen meat, unless they have cooked it thoroughly.

 

But behind the scenes of food manufacturing, frozen meat is being defrosted, pumped up with water and additives, then re-frozen all over again, and consumers are none the wiser.It is not illegal to add water and additives to chicken, as long as the additions are clearly displayed on the label. But the technical legalities are not the only issue here.There is also the unfairness of asking the public to pay more for a product than is justified.

 

What is particularly worrying is that we do not yet know the implications for our health, since there has been no in-depth analysis of the consequences of eating these adulterated meats.But it is hardly likely that eating chicken filled with water, salts, oil and additives will prove beneficial.As the GM controversy continues to demonstrate, working against nature is rarely a good idea. And that is precisely what is being done here.

 

Read more - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521119/Chemical-sludge-Meat-glue-Pig-skin-If-water-ALL-pumped-chicken.html

 

 

RELATED

 

More than half of chickens, including organic chickens,  sold in the United States have an antibiotic-resistant Superbug, according to recent Consumer Reports study. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/19/antibiotic-resistance-chicken-consumer-reports_n_4469575.html


US government authorizes the importation of chickens from China
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/11/usda-approves-importation-of-chickens.html

 

 

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PET TREATS CONTINUE TO KILL HUNDREDS AND SICKEN THOUSANDS OF PETS - NO OFFICIAL RECALL FROM FDA YET

Although thousands of pets have been falling sick, with at least 600 of them dying, the FDA is still observing the situation and declining to issue an official recall of any product, although some companies have issued recalls on their own.

Nearly 600 pets have died and more than 3,600 have been fallen seriously ill in an ongoing, mysterious outbreak of illnesses tied to jerky treats made in China, federal animal health officials said Tuesday.

Most of the cases have been in dogs, although 10 cats have been sickened, too, after eating chicken, duck and sweet potato jerky treats.

Because there's no formal recall, it's not possible to list affected brands, although a previous FDA analysis indicated that three of the top-selling brands of jerky treats sold in the U.S. were mentioned in connection with pet illnesses.

"I am disgusted that our government continues to protect corporate American and China," a grieving pet owner told NBC News. "They need to start protecting the American consumer so that this does not happen again. As soon as a product is in doubt, a warning label should be placed at the point of sale so that consumers can make an educated choice."

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/pet-jerky-treat-mystery-nearly-600-animals-dead-still-no-8C1143633G


RELATED

WEBSITE LISTING THE MOST RECENT PET FOOD RECALLS
https://www.avma.org/news/issues/recalls-alerts/pages/pet-food-safety-recalls-alerts.aspx


Pet food ingredients - the shocking truth - http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/09/pet-food-ingredients-shocking-truth.html

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LOUISIANA CUSTOMERS RANSACK WAL-MART - THAT'S GRATITUDE FOR YOU --- THAT COMPANY DID OUTSTANDING JOB PROVIDING SUPPLIES FOR VICTIMS DURING HURRICANE KATRINA

EBT card food stamp recipients ransack Wal-Mart stores, stealing carts full of food during federal computer glitch

 

 

NATURAL NEWS - When the federal EBT food stamp system suffered a critical failure on Saturday, local retailers were disconnected from the federal food stamp database that keeps track of how much credit is left on each individual EBT card.

 

Seizing the opportunity provided by the glitch, EBT card holders in Louisiana ransacked their local Wal-Mart stores, stuffing their shopping carts full of groceries and "paying" for them with near-empty EBT cards that essentially had unlimited account balances because all accounting was offline.

 

When the EBT database came back online and card purchase limits were suddenly restored, EBT card holders abandoned their full carts and just walked away.

Read more - http://www.naturalnews.com/042479_EBT_cards_Walmart_looting.html#

A LOOK BACK AT WAL-MART'S RESPONSE DURING HURRICANE KATRINA

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005 devastating the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans in particular, it was Wal-Mart that was ready to provide a huge amount of necessary items for the refugees. 

 

FEMA and the Red Cross were AWOL for several days, while survivors waited for food, bottled water, blankets, clothes, and other necessities. 

 

Wal-Mart management even had their own meteorologist, so they were prepared way in advance for the hurricane and were well stocked.  They were able to provide all those items to local rescue groups when they needed them. 

Years later some people in Louisiana have forgotten all about it. 

 

Hurricane Katrina - defining moment in Wal-Mart giving
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/85498/hurricane-katrina-defining-moment-in-wal-mart-giving?page=all


Wal-Mart at the forefront of hurricane relief during Katrina
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/05/AR2005090501598.html


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US GOVERNMENT APPROVES LARGEST CHINESE TAKEOVER EVER

 

It's a $4.72 billion deal.

 

Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD), the world’s largest hog and pork producer, said U.S. regulators will allow the company to be bought by China’s Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. in what would be the biggest Chinese purchase of a U.S. firm.

 

“This transaction will create a leading global animal protein enterprise,” Zhijun Yang, Chief Executive Officer of Shuanghui International, said in a joint statement from both companies released yesterday.

 

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS, approved the transaction and it will be voted on by Smithfield shareholders at the company’s annual meeting Sept. 24.

 

The government of Ukraine also approved the deal, according to the statement.

 

Shuanghui, based in Hong Kong, said May 29 it would buy Smithfield for $4.72 billion in a deal that has drawn scrutiny from senior members of Congress in both U.S. political parties, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat from Montana, and Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah, who had asked for a “thorough review” of the plan.

 

The committee, led by the Treasury Department, is made up of representatives from the Justice, Homeland Security and Defense departments and five other agencies, any of which might have particular concerns about a takeover by a given foreign buyer. Elizabeth Bourassa, a spokeswoman for the Treasury Department, declined to comment.

 

Read more -   http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-06/smithfield-receives-u-s-regulator-approval-for-shuanghui-deal.html

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HOW CAN YOU TELL IF FOOD IS GMO, ORGANIC, OR CONVENTIONAL? CHECK THESE CODES

by Anthony Gucciardi -  Natural Society 
Via The Daily Sheeple.

These days genetic modification of the food supply is rather prevalent. With genetic modification being linked to sterility and infant mortality, it is something that should be avoided at all costs.

 

Unfortunately, food products containing genetically modified organisms are often not properly labeled, leading to unknowing consumption of genetically modified ingredients.

 

Learn how to identify which products are genetically modified, and avoid this major health risk.

Reading the Labels:

• Conventional Fruit Labels: Begin with the number 4, and never begin with the number 9.
• Genetically Modified Fruit Labels: Begin with the number 8. Note that it begins with 8, not just contains the number 8. This is often a 5 digit number.
• Organic Fruit Labels: These fruit labels always contain 5 digits, and begin with the number 9. Always check and make sure, as some “organic” products have been known to be deceptively labeled.

Look For Products Labeled 100% Organic: United States and Canadian governments do not allow companies to label products 100% organic if they contain genetically modified foods.

 

While it may be harder to find products with this label, this is the best way to go when it comes to avoiding genetically modified ingredients as well as additives.

Look For “Non-GM” or “GMO-Free” Labels:

• “GMO-Free” labels do not mean the product is organic. Nor does it mean it is free of other harmful additives such as aspartame or MSG. 

Read more - http://www.thedailysheeple.com/how-to-know-if-your-food-is-conventional-organic-or-genetically-modified_102013

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TYLENOL'S INGREDIENT KILLS ALMOST 500 AMERICANS EVERY YEAR

Acetaminophen, Tylenol's Active Ingredient, Kills Nearly 500 Americans Every Year

 

Presently, the drug manufacturer is defending itself in federal court from at least 85 different lawsuits from consumers

 

Nearly 500 Americans die yearly from acetaminophen overdoses, with 2,600 hospitalizations and some 56,000 emergency room visits, according to a 2004 study from the University of Texas.

 

The drug is also implicated in nearly half of all cases of liver damage, researchers say. At the same time, the Tylenol brand makes more than $1 billion in revenue every year, aside from competitors.

 

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refers to acetaminophen overdose as a “persistent, important public health problem,” regulatory oversight of the drug — safe for adults, children, and infants in the right doses — has been criticized by some as too lax, compared to other developed countries from Europe to Asia.

 

U.S. regulators ruled in 2009 to require a label warning of “severe liver damage” after convening an expert panel in 1977 — 32 years later.

 

Moreover, the FDA is still finalizing safety rules for acetaminophen as part of that panel’s recommendations, nearly two generations later.

 

Upon ruling to require that warning label in 2009, regulators decided also to introduce new regulations to enhance consumer safety with regard to over-the-counter sales of the drug.

 

Those rules have yet to be implemented.

 

Rather than restricting sales of acetaminophen or requiring it to be sold over-the-counter only by pharmacies, the FDA has continued a decades-long discussion on the safety of this highly effective drug, with regard to maximum recommended daily dosage.

 

Likewise, the manufacturer has spurned efforts during the past few decades to enhance safety warnings, according to company memos and other court documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by journalists.

 

Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil unit has also opposed the idea of a government information campaign to educate the public about the drug’s risk, fearing for lost sales revenue, according to investigative work by ProPublica, a non-profit corporation dedicated to public service journalism.

 

In response to queries about acetaminophen’s safety, the manufacturer issued a written statement: “McNeil takes acetaminophen overdose very seriously, which is why we have taken significant steps over the years to mitigate the risk.”

Read more - http://www.medicaldaily.com/acetaminophen-tylenols-active-ingredient-kills-nearly-500-americans-every-year-257654

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PET FOOD RECALLS

 

I'd like to share with you a useful website with updates of pet food recalls:

https://www.avma.org/news/issues/recalls-alerts/pages/pet-food-safety-recalls-alerts.aspx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been buying Wysong pet food since I got my first cat, in 1991.  

 

Back in 2007, when pet food was found to be contaminated by a fatal ingredient imported from China that killed many pets, Wysong was one of the few brands that did not use those Chinese ingredients.  That alone got my loyalty.

 

However, it's best to give your pet as much homemade food as possible, as long as it contains all the nutrients your pet needs and in the right proportion.  You can find that information on the web. 

 

My blog's article I cite at the bottom has more information in this regard.

References:

The 2007 pet food recall - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_pet_food_recalls


Wysong pet food (has worked well for my pets so far) -  http://www.wysong.net/


Pet food recalls - https://www.avma.org/news/issues/recalls-alerts/pages/pet-food-safety-recalls-alerts.aspx


Pet food ingredients - the shocking truth - http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/09/pet-food-ingredients-shocking-truth.html


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ONE IN TEN SAUSAGES MAY CARRY HEPATITIS VIRUS

Cases of Hepatitis E have skyrocketed 40% in the past year.  It kills one in five pregnant women.
 
The sausage's most dangerous product is liver meat.
 
The virus usually causes only relatively mild symptoms such as sickness, a temperature and muscle pain, which clear up by themselves within a month.   But it can be fatal for the elderly, cancer victims, pregnant women and others with existing liver problems.

Read more - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2421133/Could-10-pork-sausages-carrying-deadly-hepatitis-E-virus.html

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ARSENIC IN FOOD - FDA COVERUP AND REFUSAL TO DISCLOSE TRUE DANGER

High levels of arsenic, cadmium and other toxic contaminants in our food that you should know about.

 

NATURAL NEWS - FDA deliberately deceiving Americans over arsenic in rice, chicken and other foods; contamination now widespread.  There is arsenic in rice, and it's generally higher in brown rice than in white rice.

 

Consumer Reports tested 223 samples of rice products in 2012 and found significant levels of arsenic in most of them, including inorganic arsenic (the really toxic kind).

 

As Consumer Reports found, it's not unusual to see arsenic at levels of 200 ppb or more in rice-based baby cereals. Click here for the complete test results.

 

The release of this information freaked out the U.S. rice industry, resulting in enormous pressure being put on the FDA to try to assuage fears that rice products were contaminated with arsenic (which they are). 

 

So the FDA, always working in the interests of food corporations rather than the public, issued a statement saying that yes, there was arsenic in rice, but no, it didn't pose any "short-term" health risks.

 

Well, we already knew that. Otherwise people would be dropping dead from eating rice. But what the FDA totally glossed over was the long-term health risks from chronic exposure to arsenic.  That's where our real concerns are found, and that's the issue that the FDA completely ignored.

 

The FDA's exact language on this is, "agency scientists determined that the amount of detectable arsenic is too low in the rice and rice product samples to cause any immediate or short-term adverse health effects."

 

The FDA's glossing over the arsenic problem was so blatant that even WIRED Magazine got in on the backlash and published a story by Deborah Blum that essentially accuses the FDA of a cover-up.

 

In fact, the real cover-up is far bigger than arsenic in rice.  Lead and cadmium are far more toxic than arsenic.

 

The toxic elements lead and cadmium are probably 2-3 orders of magnitude more toxic than arsenic, generally speaking.

 

While each metal targets different body organs and metabolic pathways, the overall toxicity of lead and cadmium is many times that of arsenic.

 

So why isn't anybody talking about cadmium in rice?  Probably because the issue becomes quickly politicized when the conversation turns to rice grown in China.

 

Read more - http://www.naturalnews.com/042062_arsenic_in_rice_chicken_FDA.html

 

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When you buy organic food from the bulk section of your supermarket, it's advisable to demand to know where the food was actually grown - not where the supermarket purchased it. 

 

I live in Canada and the supermarket employee would reassure me that the millet I used to buy "came from the USA". 

 

What he did not tell me, and what he probably did not know, was that while the millet "was imported from the US" it was not grown there but in Asia.  There are big wholesale importers in the US that buy large amounts of food from Asia and then sell them to distributors in Canada and the USA.  

 

~~~~~

 

Canada and the US used to grow huge amounts of grains for human consumption, but now they find it more profitable to grow corn, which can be used as an ingredient in the production of ethanol.  In the meantime supermarkets import cheaper grains and other foods from Asia.

 

 

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CAT LITTER MAY CONTAIN HARMFUL CHEMICALS

Most cat litters contain ingredients proven to be harmful to humans and animals. Beware of sodium bentonite clay and silica gel - and the presence of alfatoxins in grain-based cat litters 
 

SODIUM BENTONITE CLAY
Not to be confused with beneficial calcium bentonite clay - non-biodegradable sodium bentonite clay, used in clumping litter, can be harmful if ingested.   Your pets could suffer from an accumulation of insoluble masses inside the body causing bowel blockages, kidney problems, dehydration, and inability to absorb nutrients. If left untreated, these ailments can be fatal.

 

SILICA GEL
As an added absorption and deodorizing benefit, many kitty litter companies also use silica gel, which is a porous form of silicon dioxide and is made synthetically from a compound called sodium silicate.

 

Silica gel is most commonly used in desiccant packets in newly purchased shoes, electronics or vitamins where excess moisture would encourage the growth of mold or spoilage.

 

Silica gel crystals work as drying agents in kitty litter by trapping cat urine in their small pores while allowing the excess water to evaporate.

 

In 1997, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified silica as a human carcinogen yet it is estimated that roughly 95 percent of U.S. cat litter is a form of silica.

 

Prolonged exposure to silica dust can cause irritation and permanent damage of the mucous membranes of the lungs and upper respiratory tract as well as leading to silicosis and lung cancer.

 

Your pet's natural grooming practices leave them susceptible to ingesting litter and dust that has accumulated over time on their paws and in their hair.

 

COBALT III CHLORIDE

Often, kitty litter companies add toxic cobalt(III) chloride to the silica gel when a visible indication of absorption is needed. The cobalt(III) chloride changes from blue to pink when wet and has been directly linked to cancer. Not the best addition to your pet's diet.

 

AFLATOXIN  IN NATURAL GRAINS LITTER

So you ditch the toxic soup of clumping silica-based cat litters and opt for a more natural ingredient choice - unfortunately you aren't out of the woods yet. Kitty litter made from grains such as corn or wheat is susceptible to contamination by aflatoxin producing Aspergillus. Grains are particularly susceptible to infection if stored in warm temperatures and moist environments - exactly like your cat litter box. Aflatoxin exposure predominately attacks the liver and can lead to a whole host of serious illnesses.

Protect the health of yourself and your pets by opting for non-clumping and non-toxic kitty litters. Even better, train your cat to use the toilet and forever abolish the need for costly litter, disgusting clean ups and toxin exposure. Not to mention - a cat using a toilet is always a good conversation starter.

 

Read more:  http://www.naturalnews.com/041255_kitty_litter_bentonite_clay_harmful_ingredients.html

 

Link to this post -  http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/07/cat-litter-may-contain-harmful-chemicals.html

 

EPA AUTHORIZES TOXIC LEVELS OF ROUNDUP IN YOUR FOOD

EPA'S authorization may cover application on some organic food as well

 

Activist Post:  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whose mission is to "to protect human health and the environment," has approved Monsanto's request to allow levels of glyphosate (Roundup) contamination in your food up to a million times higher than have been found carcinogenic.

 

Monsanto previous proposal to the EPA includes "Add wiper applicator use over the top to carrot and sweet potato," revealing that one reason why Monsanto wants tolerances on glyphosate raised is because this chemical will be applied directly not just to Roundup Ready plants but to non-GMO crops as well, virtually guaranteeing that unless you eat 100% USDA, organic concentrations of grave concern will end up in your food and body.

Read more here: http://www.activistpost.com/2013/07/epa-to-american-people-let-them-eat.html

Link to this post:  http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/07/epa-authorizes-toxic-levels-of-roundup.html

GMO NEWS -

STOMACHS OF GMO-FED PIGS TURN INTO MUSH

 

New study shows overwhelming evidence of damage to animal health when GMO products are mixed in their feed

NATURAL NEWS - Pigs fed a diet of genetically engineered soy and corn showed a 267% increase in severe stomach inflammation compared to those fed non-GMO diets.

 

In males, the difference was even more pronounced: a 400% increase. The study is the first to show what appears to be a direct connection between the ingestion of GMO animal feed and measurable damage to the stomachs of those animals.

 

Tests also showed abnormally high uterine weights of animals fed the GMO diets, raising further questions about the possibility of GMOs causing reproductive organ damage. 

 

Lead author of the study Dr. Judy Carman stated, "We found these adverse effects when we fed the animals a mixture of crops containing three GM genes and the GM proteins that these genes produce. Yet no food regulator anywhere in the world requires a safety assessment for the possible toxic effects of mixtures. Our results provide clear evidence that regulators need to safety assess GM crops containing mixtures of GM genes, regardless of whether those genes occur in the one GM plant or in a mixture of GM plants eaten in the same meal, even if regulators have already assessed GM plants containing single GM genes in the mixture."

Read more and see pictures:  http://www.naturalnews.com/040727_GMO_feed_severe_inflammation_pig_stomachs.html

RELATED:

September 2012 - Natural News - Laboratory rats fed GM corn develop tumors - http://www.naturalnews.com/037249_GMO_study_cancer_tumors_organ_damage.html
September 2012 - The Guardian:  Laboratory rats fed GMO food develop tumors - Problem cannot be swept under the carpet - http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/28/study-gm-maize-cancer
May 2012 - Natural News - GMO foods to avoid - http://www.naturalnews.com/035734_GMOs_foods_dangers.html
November 2012 - DANGERS OF GMOs IN PET FOOD - http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/11/14/genetically-modified-corn.aspx

GMO EVIDENCE - http://gmoevidence.com/

GMO-related articles on this blog - http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/search/label/GMOs

BEES ISSUES -
 

PESTICIDES AND GOVERNMENT INACTION BEHIND BEES DISAPPEARANCE

 

 FOOD SCARCITY AHEAD

 

The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, acknowledges that “pesticide poisoning” may be one factor leading to colony collapse disorder, yet they have been slow to act to protect bees from this threat.

 

Almonds are the main agricultural product of California, and they depend on bee pollination for the success of their crops. 

 

This year, however, the unthinkable happened. Many of the 6,000 orchard owners simply could not find enough bees to pollinate their almond trees, at any price.  Many of the bees delivered to California almond growers turned out to be dead when the packages were opened up.

FACTS:

-  Bees contribute $15 billion in annual agriculture revenue to the US economy alone.

 

-  One-third of the American food supply depends on bees pollinating crops.  Just about every fruit and vegetable you can imagine is dependent on the pollinating services of bees.

 

-   Bee colonies across the world are disappearing - a phenomenon dubbed colony collapse disorder (CCD).

 

-  One main cause of bee die-off is poisoning by pesticides.

The toxicity connection

Forager bees bring pesticide-laden pollen back to the hive, where it's consumed by all of the bees. Six months later, their immune systems fail, and they fall prey to secondary, seemingly "natural" bee infections, such as parasites, mites, viruses, fungi and bacteria.

CONNECT THE DOTS - The disappearance of bee colonies began accelerating in the United States shortly after the EPA allowed these new insecticides on the market in the mid-2000s.

 

Last month, beekeepers and environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the EPA over its failure to protect bees from these toxic pesticides.

Meanwhile, France has banned Imidacloprid for use on corn and sunflowers after reporting large losses of bees after exposure to it. They also rejected Bayer´s application for Clothianidin, and other countries, such as Italy, have banned certain neonicotinoids as well. 

 

A general consensus among beekeepers is that the bee die-offs are most definitely related to toxic chemicals. Neonicotinoids, present in pesticides, is being blamed for bee die-offs. 

 

Pesticides containing Neonicotinoids are applied to seeds before planting, allowing it to be taken up through the plant’s vascular system as it grows. As a result, the chemical contaminates the pollen and nectar of the plant.

 

These insecticides are highly toxic to bees because they are systemic, water-soluble, and pervasive. They get into the soil and groundwater where they can accumulate and remain for many years and present long-term toxicity to the hive.

 

Neonicotinoids affect insects' central nervous systems in ways that are cumulative and irreversible. Even minute amounts can have profound effects over time. They weaken the bee's immune system.

 

Read more: 
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/08/bees-dying-off.aspx?e_cid=20130608_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130608


RELATED:

GOVERNMENT ILEGALLY SEIZES MONSANTO-RESISTANT BEES FROM OREGON FARMER AND BEE RESEARCHER TERRENCE INGRAM.

http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/05/government-control-news-monsanto.html

COLONY COLLAPSE SYNDROME A FRAUD -- PESTICIDES CAUSE BEE DIE OFFS

http://www.activistpost.com/2013/05/colony-collapse-disorder-is-fraud.html

STUDY LINKS BEE DIE OFFS TO PESTICIDES, BUT GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO BAN SUCH PESTICIDES.

A major study by the U.S. government’s environment and agriculture agencies has suggested a strong link between the use of certain pesticides and the widespread deaths that have afflicted honey bee populations around the world in recent years.  Still, the joint report does not suggest limiting the use of these pesticides, nor does it recommend immediate action to impose a temporary ban, as was announced this week in a landmark decision by the European Union. Rather, the report offers technical tweaks while urging additional research on the issue.

https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/05/03-0

EUROPE BANS SOME PESTICIDES - US KEEPS SPRAYING

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/05/eu-ban-bee-harming-pesticides-puts-pressure-us-epa

HEALTH NEWS -

 

CHILDREN VITAMINS CONTAIN HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

 

 

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR BRANDS OF CHILDREN VITAMINS CONTAINS ASPARTAME, GMOs, ZINK OXIDE, SORBITOL, FERROUS FUMARATE AND ARTIFICIAL COLORS

 

Aspartame, for example, is known to convert into highly toxic methanol and formaldehyde in the body. Aspartame has been linked to over 40 adverse health effects in the biomedical literature, and has been shown to be a neurotoxin and a carcinogen. 

Read Activist Post article for more information, including references for those dangerous ingredients:  http://www.activistpost.com/2013/05/why-do-kids-vitamins-contain-aspartame.html

Original Source:  http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/top-us-brand-childrens-vitamins-contains-aspartame-gmos-other-hazardous-chemicals

RADIOACTIVE BELTS PULLED FROM THE MARKET IN BRITAIN

NUCLEAR NEWS -

 

RADIOACTIVE BELTS PULLED FROM THE MARKET IN BRITAIN

 

 How many more radioactive items are in use out there?

Women's leather belts sold by the fashion website ASOS have been recalled after the metal studs in them were found to be radioactive.  They were made using recycled radioactive scrap metal in India.

The high price of metal has led manufacturers to use recycled material, without knowing for certain where it comes from, and what use it originally had. There have been several reports of radioactive items of daily consumer use being sold in the United States.

Read more:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2331956/Asos-forced-withdraw-belts-metal-studs-radioactive-potentially-harmful.html

Related: US government authorizes the recycling of radioactive metal for use in the manufacture of eating utensils, and other items of common daily use.
http://ottersandsciencenews.blogspot.ca/2013/04/radiation-news-radioactive-metals-to-be.html

SOCIAL ISSUES -

FACEBOOK CENSORS ANTI-GMO PICTURE

 

The offensive picture showed Andrea Lalama's children carrying hand-drawn signs that read:

"ORGANIC FOOD It's My Medicine - Label GMOs - Say NO to GMO"

"BIOPESTICIDES = AUTISM - SAY NO TO GMO". 

 

After this picture was shared on Facebook by Natural News, Andrea's account was immediately suspended.

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040484_Facebook_censorship_children_Monsanto_rally.html

Natural News interview with mom Andrea Lalama.
http://www.naturalnews.com/040521_Facebook_censorship_autism.html

UPDATE - Natural News switches from Facebook to Disqus for comments engine to avoid censorship. http://www.naturalnews.com/040522_Facebook_censorship_Disqus.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Facebook is also censoring conservatives, limiting their number of comments, and even purging sites that support the Second Amendment.
http://www.examiner.com/article/is-facebook-actively-censoring-conservative-bloggers

2012 - Facebook censoring "irrelevant" comments
http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/05/facebooks-positive-comment-policy-irrelevant-inappropriate-censorship/
http://securitywatch.pcmag.com/social-networking/297573-is-facebook-censoring-your-comments

Various comments regarding Facebook criteria for censorship
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-22464290

RELATED:

Facts on autism. 
http://www.autism-society.org/about-autism/facts-and-statistics.html

One in 50 children is autistic. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/02/autism-rates.aspx

Autism up by 78% in the past decade.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/29/health/autism

Vaccines' link to autism
http://www.naturalnews.com/027178_autism_vaccines.html

FOOD NEWS -

Frankenapples in school cafeterias

 

NATURAL NEWS reports: 

Thanks to the biotech industry's relentless quest to control our food, McDonald's, Burger King and even school cafeterias will soon be able to serve up apples that won't turn brown when they're sliced or bitten into.

 

A new, almost entirely untested genetic modification technology, called RNA http://theconversation.com interference, or double strand RNA (dsRNA), is responsible for this new food miracle.

 

Scientists warn that this genetic manipulation poses health risks, as the manipulated RNA gets into our digestive systems and bloodstreams. The biotech industry claims otherwise.

Of course, like any non-organic apple, the new GMO ArcticR Apple will be drenched in toxic pesticide residues, untested by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and likely unlabeled. And of course these shiny new high-tech apples will be cheap, priced considerably lower than a pesticide-free, nutrient-dense, old-fashioned organic apple that turns a little brown after you slice it up.

Read more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040035_GMOs_apples_genetic_engineering.html

HEALTH NEWS -

 

Most US Beef, Chicken and Turkey contaminated by Superbugs

 

A federal report published last year says 81% of raw ground turkey, 55% of raw ground beef, and 39 of raw chicken parts were infected with antibiotic-resistant microbes.

 

Intensive farming, where animals are grown and kept in inhumane and crowded conditions, demand adding huge amounts of anti-biotics to their feed.

 

Superbugs are particularly dangerous and even life-threatening to the very young, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems. Antibiotics are helpless to combat them.

 

Medical News Today says:  At the very least, policymakers shouldn't subsidize factory farms over giving funds to farm and ranch stewardship. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Environmental Quality Incentives Program should encourage and support ranchers who raise livestock on pasture - which would reduce the likelihood of disease

Read more: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/259206.php