Thanks for the interesting clarification regarding nano. In reality, there are still far too many incentives to NOT “do[ing] everything possible to ensure minimal impacts and significant benefits”, particularly in a sector where there is arguable inadequate oversight and regulation.

Perhaps you could also clarify you other statement:

“The industry seems reasonably well self-regulating.”

I would specifically be interested in what standards (scientific or otherwise) you are using to make that assessment?

I also provided information to Robin for the story on background and I personally would not be comfortable making such a statement.

Thanks,

Jeff

Dr. Nina Pierpont, who popularized the concept that infrasound might be causing health problems near wind turbines in her self-published book “Wind Turbine Syndrome” interviewed exactly 23 people over the phone who self-selected by responding to an ad asking for people who attributed their health problems to wind turbines. This is selection bias and a statistically insignificant sample. She accepted further anecdotal evidence about another 15. This is poor data. She accepted their assertions about medical problems, severity and cause. This is bad medical and research practice. She had no control group. This is bad research design. Her work is not peer reviewed. This is evidence of its weakness. At best it might be considered shoddy anecdotal input to a real community health study, however, Dr. Pierpont identified a syndrome, named it, assigned it a raft of symptoms and published via vanity press a 294-page book with 60+ pages of charts, graphs and tables.
http://www.quora.com/Wind-Power/Is-Dr-Nina-Pierpoints-Wind-Turbine-Syndrome-a-real-medical-syndrome-caused-by-wind-turbines/answer/Mike-Barnard

The reality is that a small subset of people near wind turbines find the noise annoying, a subset of them get stressed and a subset of them lose sleep. There is no evidence that standard noise and stress management techniques including white noise generators or ear plugs wouldn’t solve the problem.
http://www.quora.com/Wind-Power/What-might-cause-people-who-live-near-wind-turbines-to-get-sick/answer/Mike-Barnard

Thanks!

Andrew

I have just read through your write up on insecticide treated net, it is quite interesting. am about to work on related topic. I will like to read through your dissertation. Your work is amazing
kind regards
Ihuoma

But I’m a grown up and if the ammonia is part of the food on its own, the natural chemical reaction of different ingredients – or fermentation – then I can deal with it.

To me the pink slime issue is that we have to use industrial addititves to our food to keep it ‘safe’. It may very well have been used effectively for a long time – but does that really make it right? Or okay?

We’ve been so bamboozled by food and manufacturers who sneak stuff into our food (the food they’ve carefully created demand for) after removing all viable nutrients or recognizable characteristics of the food. We have all sorts of non-plant or animal derived additives in stuff we eat, and it’s making us sick. Or even if they are – would we eat them if we knew? Take castoreum – beaver gland oil used for vanilla fragrance or flavor (there is some debate on the Web as to whether it is actually still used, but it would be legal if it were, and it’s “natural”.)

I “get” that the finely textured meat is using ‘all’ the meat. I understand that it’s less waste. But there would be even LESS waste (or perhaps, okay to have some waste product) if the overall quantity of beef produced wasn’t so overwhelming. I remember BEFORE McDonalds had sold 1 million burgers. Life was perfectly fine, and fat children were virtually non-existent.

I have access to the rural areas near where I live. I bought 1/4 cow from an acquaintence. Cut and wrapped it cost me $3.87# lb. Expensive hamburgers, cheap steak and roast. When I buy grass fed beef from the farmer’s market, it’s $4.99 lb. for pre-made patties. My free range chickens are $13.75 for a bird averaging 5# if I pre-order ten.

It’s expensive. But my family only eats meat at dinner about five times a week. If it were eight bucks a pound, we’d eat even less meat – and we’d probably be healthier (but fart more!)

If we silly overweight and obese Americans hadn’t bougth into the idea that we can lead practically sedintary lifestyles and eat meat at every meal would we be producing so much meat (at only about four packing houses) that food safety is such a concern?

Regardless of the food safety issues, the environmental impact is so detrimenta, I’m ready to shut down the majority of combined animal feeding operations, and large packing plants and go back to eating meat that was grown in closer to home.

I’m sad for the pink slime employees who are losing their jobs. Maybe they can start meat packing cooperatives, that buy local/regional meat and humanely kill and distribute it – and pay themselves more.

Thanks for your comment – I was wondering whether you were being a little tongue in cheek with your opening sentence – but maybe not. I sincerely hope that the we don’t reach the point where data within the scientific community are assigned a shelf life – otherwise we are sunk!

As I’m sure you noticed, the post makes no attempt to distinguish between sources of ammonia – it simply responds to expressed concerns that the use of LTFB lead to the potentially harmful presence of ammonia in food. As such, I’m not sure I understand your point about second level research and credibility. Unless you are questioning the credibility of the original paper, which I am sure you are not.

This piece by the way was posted because I thought people would be interested in the published evidence on ammonia levels in food, and because it contributes to the evidence base around pink slime – it’s what we do here. it has nothing to do with “repair” jobs. Sorry!

As for the first item on the list, ammonia is a naturally occurring by-product of blue cheese making. It is not “puffed on” the cheese as it is with LFTB.

At least do second level research. The first item I picked to check on shot the first hole in your credibility.

Having said that, the very idea of what’s in pink slime and the fact that we feed it to kids by the millions is, at the very least, disturbing.

Andrew