Farmers Are Hiding Likely Bird Flu Cases in Cows From the Federal Government
www.notus.org
Dairy farmers don’t trust the federal government to prioritize their economic needs and have become increasingly polarized following the COVID-19 pandemic.

This has a real “hide the zombie bite from your friends” feel to it, albeit on a much grander scale.

  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
    110·
    6 months ago

    The USDA now requires a negative test for cattle to move across state lines, but no federal agency can mandate testing on the farms or go onto the farms without permission from the owners. Government requests to test farmers’ cows have mostly been ignored.

    “You have to understand how they approach the world. They take on so much risk every day with what they do in their operation,” Naerebout said. “They are very reluctant on this issue or any other issue to have the government involved.”

    So we have a feelings-based food supply. That’s probably fine.

    • The Pantser@lemmy.world
      36·
      6 months ago

      So the USDA is now useless too? If they want approval to sell their cow stuffs the USDA should revoke their license unless they can enter their property to test.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
        312·
        6 months ago

        In all fairness, the USDA has been useless for a long time.

        Just one of many examples, “treatments” are not considered ingredients, so they don’t need to be disclosed to the consumer. McDonald’s takes mechanically separated chicken bits leftover from Tyson’s boning process, then mixes them with ammonia to kill bacteria, homogenizing it into a pink slime. That slime is pressed into four shapes distinct shapes, “breaded” and fried, and the ingredients list for McNuggets is not required to include ammonia.

        • meowMix2525@lemm.ee
          10·
          6 months ago

          uh idk about the treatments thing in general but the pink slime myth about the nuggets specifically was both circulated and debunked before 2010, and the image that was going around of it was not taken in any facility relating to McDonald’s.

          You would have a point about the beef being treated with ammonia and homogenized, but according to AP, “McDonalds stopped using the by-product, known in the industry as lean, finely-textured beef, in 2011” here is their source on that

          I really don’t consider myself a McDonald’s defender but the least you could do is say things that are current or even just recent and true lol

          • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
            7·
            6 months ago

            I saw it in a documentary a long time ago. I just looked myself, and it seems you’re right about it being their beef and not chicken.

            The treatment designation is true. If a substance is added to food to be removed prior to consumption, it’s considered a treatment, and therefore does not have to be listed on the ingredients list.

        • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
          81·
          6 months ago

          I remember a story where a inspector had to wear a bag over her head to inspect a processing plant. So essentially blindfolded to inspect food production that would feed millions of people. Our whole political and economic system is a joke.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
        29·
        6 months ago

        No joke. I was floored when I read that Mexico refused to import corn unless the FDA provided proof of full safety of the “Roundup ready” GMO corn and glyphosate pesticide, and the FDA failed to respond with proof.

    • Michael H. JenkinsOP
      161·
      6 months ago

      We live in the Attention Age and the world runs to a large degree on emotions. This is fine, everything’s fine.