Death and Disease From Dining

        Of course, these general food safety problems come from several sources.  For one, many farmers have problems with their system.  Cattle will often go to the restroom in the pond from which they drink, and the disease will spread to other cattle that drink from that pond.  Also, eating grain, which helps fatten the cow, has been shown to make E. Coli spread very rapidly throughout the cow.  Cattle are sometimes drugged with either growth hormones or antibiotics.  This, in turn, creates bacteria that are immune to these drugs.  Then, when a person eats the food from these cattle, the same antibiotics will lose their effectiveness for the person.  Another source of American food safety problems comes from the meat processing plants.  Even though the meat may be washed several times, washing cannot get rid of all the E. Coli that are living in small areas that water simply cannot reach.  Also, inspectors can’t detect the E. Coli, and the food will continue through the system to the consumer.  One pound of this meat that goes through the system unnoticed can infect up to 32,000 pounds of meat.  The final major source of food safety problems comes from inside people’s homes.  E. Coli can infect a person at home in three ways.  First, the person can be infected by directly eating meat that has E. Coli in it.  Second, he can be infected by cross transmission when he comes in contact with someone who had been handling infected meat.  Lastly, he can be infected indirectly by eating vegetables that had been fertilized using contaminated cow feces.

        Although these problems are quite prominent, several solutions exist to help prevent getting these diseases.  In farms, for example, the farmers can fence the ponds and pump the water to a trough for cattle to drink out of.  They can use hay, which has been proven to prevent the spread of E. Coli, instead of grain before the cattle go to the slaughterhouses.  Also, you can simply buy meat that says it is drug free to prevent ingesting the drug-immune bacteria.  The plants meat processing can use ultra light to detect the E. Coli.  They can also use steam pasteurization, which shoots cows with steam at 190 degrees Fahrenheit for six seconds, or eradiation, which shoots x-rays at the cattle.  Both of these manage to kill the bacteria in every possible area of the cattle.  Finally, you have many ways to prevent yourself from getting E. Coli and many other diseases at home.  You should always wash your hands, vegetables, utensils, dishes and any other objects that have potentially come in contact with raw meat.  Furthermore, you should cook your meat to at least 160 degrees, a temperature at which most bacteria die.  Other ways are as simple as sending back any hamburger that is rare or pink.  You can also use anti-bacterial sprays that contain triclosan to kill the bacteria.

        In short, although many problems can be found with the safety of food in America today, especially regarding cattle, much can be done to improve the situation.  Many general food safety problems are present in America today.  These problems occur in homes, farms and plants.  However, a solution exists to prevent these problems.  For these reasons, Americans should be aware of these problems that exist and take the necessary steps shown to help prevent them.

Problem/Solution Outline                                                Trenton Albrecht

Thesis—Although many problems can be found with the safety of food in America today, especially regarding cattle, much can be done to improve the situation

.

1. Introduction
2. General food safety problems

1. General food

1. Eighty million Americans will get sick from what they eat each year
2. 325,000 will be hospitalized because of what they eat each year
3. 9,500 will die because of what they eat each year

2. Salmonella—from poultry

1. Four million get sick from it each year
2. Five hundred die from it each year

3. E. Coli—from beef

1. More outbreaks have been traced to ground beef with this than any other food
2. Twenty thousand will get sick and five hundred will die of it each year
3. Five percent of cattle have it and ten percent of hamburgers have it in some form
4. Causes diabetes, bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal cramps, kidney failure, bowel disorders, anemia, and hypertension

3. Where these problems occur

1. Farms

1. Cows will go to the restroom in ponds
2. Eating grain makes E. Coli spread.
3. Cows are drugged and some antibiotics will lose their effectiveness

2. Plants

1. Washing won’t get all of the E. Coli
2. Inspectors can’t detect it without a microscope
3. One pound can infect 32,000 pounds

3. Homes

1. Directly eating the food with E. Coli
2. Cross transmission
3. Indirect transmission—a gardener uses infected cow feces as a fertilizer for vegetables that you eat

4. Solutions to these problems

1. Farms

1. Fence the pond and pump the water to a trough
2. Use hay instead of grain
3. Buy meat that says that it is drug free

2. Plants

1. Use ultra light to detect the E. Coli
2. Use steam pasteurization—Cows are shot with steam at 190 degrees for six seconds
3. Use eradiation—x-rays are shot at the cattle

3. Home

1. Wash your vegetables, hands, utensils and dishes that have potentially come in contact with raw meat.
2. Cook your meat to at least 160 degrees
3. Send back any hamburger that has rare or pink meat
4. Use an anti-bacterial spray—triclosan

5. Conclusion