Swine Flu

This AP article this morning contains conflicting information about whether eating pork can give you swine flu.

Some of the experts are saying yes, some are saying no. Some countries are saying yes, some countries are saying no.

This surprised me, as, until reading this article, I would have absolutely assumed that eating pork continued to be safe, and was not a concern during the current epidemic. But apparently it's not as simple as that. (As an example of my blithe assumption of safety, I had ham at two different meals yesterday, and gave it not a thought in the world. I would not do the same today.)

I pass this along not to stimulate a debate as to whether pork is safe now or not, but simply because others may want to know that not every authority thinks so. It was a wakeup call to me, and if passing the word keeps anyone from getting sick, or slows down the epidemic to any degree, it'll have been worth it.

Hi,

The great pandemic of 1917 was set off when pigs were raised on a military base in Great Britain. It was close proximity living conditions with sanitation maybe not quite up to par that caused the flu to jump from pigs to people.

If this experience holds true, then I will continue to comfortably eat pork.

Regards,

The 1976 swine flu outbreak led my dear grandmother to give up eating pork. After eloping at the age of 18 with my grandfather in 1919, she left her kosher home and learned to cook from her mother-in-law, who had been telling her pious husband for years that the pork chops were veal…. We were astounded at what we perceived then as her unreasonable fear of pork, perhaps mixed with long-repressed guilt about eating it for nearly six decades. Like Cathy, I am not worried about eating cooked pork. Reading the article riddlemay linked to, I see only Russia has banned importing pork from Mexico and some U.S. states.

EvA wrote:Reading the article riddlemay linked to, I see only Russia has banned importing pork from Mexico and some U.S. states.

There's also the part that says, "South Korea said it would increase the number of its influenza virus checks on pork products from Mexico and the U.S." While that is not a ban, it is an indication of concern.

I could dismiss the Russia thing as just being another case of Russia giving us a hard time, but S. Korea has no beef with us that I know about. (No pun intended.)

Anyway, you're right, most countries are saying no problem. It's just that I expected all of them to say that.

And if you can get it from pork, I'm sure it will be organic free-range pork that will be the deadliest!

Until i have a reason to be concerned, I will continue to be a living beta test.

Of course the other main source of influenza virus is avian flu. Do we all stop eating chicken too?

the countries that have temporarily banned imports of pork from north america aren't exactly bellwethers for food safety policy....the bans likely have a purpose....but not linked to human health

in regards to avian influenza, a concern three years ago was that human contact with birds was introducing the virus into humans. this occurred during male fertility rituals (not ubiquitous throughout rural asian culture, but it does go on) when immediately after the chicken heads were cut off, the severed necks were sucked on like a straw. It never morphed with a human virus, though, and so never jumped from human to human (like this current swine flu)

It's difficult to contract a virus from an animal....and it's the animal husbandry workers who are highest risk, obviously. And once a virus is contracted, its rare that it morphs with a human virus which gives the animal virus the ability to be spread from human to human. Once that occurs though, katie bar the door. And what you're cooking and eating has little to do with your risk profile. Regardless of what the Ukraine and Korea might say.

auxen1 wrote:the countries that have temporarily banned imports of pork from north america aren't exactly bellwethers for food safety policy....the bans likely have a purpose....but not linked to human health

I agree with this-- it says trade barrier all over it.

Jen

This just in--Orion Samuelson says eating pork is safe. Huzzah!

riddlemay wrote:This just in--Orion Samuelson says eating pork is safe. Huzzah!

That's great! Where's the best place in town for pork carpaccio?

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta says you can not get swine flu from eating pork.

This Slate article supports the contention that the foreign ban on North American pork is trade-barrier-related.

Some words about the connection between corporate pork and swine flu.

After interviewing Levitt, Mendez and Sherman about H1N1, I've come to the conclusion that we can avoid such pandemics by raising happier pigs and eating more delicious pork. No kidding.

David "Groping for a Silver Lining" Hammond

riddlemay wrote:This AP article this morning contains conflicting information about whether eating pork can give you swine flu.

Some of the experts are saying yes, some are saying no. Some countries are saying yes, some countries are saying no.

I don't interpret/read the article's quotes the same way as you. I see the health experts saying eating pork is safe (relative to contracting the influenza, or not).

David Hammond wrote:After interviewing Levitt, Mendez and Sherman about H1N1, I've come to the conclusion that we can avoid such pandemics by raising happier pigs and eating more delicious pork. No kidding.

Let's 'cull the herd' of humans living in congested metropolitan areas on our planet as well and scatter populations back into rural areas, because your conclusion is applicable not just to the spread of virus' amongst the four-legged creatures, but us two-legged ones as well. Simplistic solutions don't typically solve serious problems.

Bill wrote:

David Hammond wrote:After interviewing Levitt, Mendez and Sherman about H1N1, I've come to the conclusion that we can avoid such pandemics by raising happier pigs and eating more delicious pork. No kidding.

Let's 'cull the herd' of humans living in congested metropolitan areas on our planet as well and scatter populations back into rural areas, because your conclusion is applicable not just to the spread of virus' amongst the four-legged creatures, but us two-legged ones as well. Simplistic solutions don't typically solve serious problems.

Culling all herds is a process that is going on all the time.

Thank you for the valuable lesson about solving serious problems.

My concern regarding swine flu is more for my toddler daughter than for myself. Kids pass alot of germs, etc. I just hope all will be fine.

As for eating pork, I will continue to do so, and I buy mass produced factory pork . it is what it is.

It is more widely available, and much more economical for the cuts I buy most ( eg.babybacks $3.99/lb. vs $5.99/lb.).

jimswside wrote:As for eating pork, I will continue to do so, and I buy mass produced factory pork . it is what it is.

It is more widely available, and much more economical for the cuts I buy most ( eg.babybacks $3.99/lb. vs $5.99/lb.).

No doubt, CAFO pork, being a commodity, is attractive based on price and availability. I have no doubt I will continue to eat factory farm meat of all sorts. BUT, I also recognize that I eat too much meat (as you might have seen, my plate was piled high at Uncle Bub's last Monday, and I'm pretty sure none of that was raised on a small farm). There are ways to eat better by eating less without spending a lot more than I already do for more than my share.

David Hammond wrote: BUT, I also recognize that I eat too much meat (as you might have seen, my plate was piled high at Uncle Bub's last Monday, and I'm pretty sure none of that was raised on a small farm). There are ways to eat better by eating less without spending a lot more than I already do for more than my share.

I understand that viewpoint. Although for me it is tough to alter the "meat as the primary ingredient of every meal" diet I was raised on, and have continued to embrace.

Colbert makes sense of it all.

stevez wrote:

Now that's funny, a little disgusting, but funny.

Swine Flu?

Isn't that connected to the smoke stack were the wonderful smells come from when a fine establishment like Honey 1 is running an indoor smoker?