mad cow disease

[charlie1]

hi every one, i was just wondering what the airlines are doing with the catering because of the out break of mad cow disease. i also wonder if it has changed peoples lives very much or are the media here in australia only showing the worst? the pictures they are showing on the news are very sad and very dramatic. i was just wondering what it is really like and if the airlines have gone vegetarian out of those countries affected.

[Pandora]

Charlie1,

are you refering to the mad cow disease outbreak of the 1990s, or the current foot and mouth disease? Or do you quite frankly have no idea what you are on about?

[spartacus]

Whoah there Pandora!

What may seem like old news to you over there is very much current affairs over here. As of mid January this year the Australian government has imposed a prohibition on the import of beef and beef-related products from the UK (and the EU?? unsure) due to the continuing concerns regarding BSE/mad cow/KJD/call it what you will. The resulting media flurry dovetailed very nicely into the more recent (and ongoing)dramas of Foot and Mouth Disease in the UK.

I think I therefore understand Charlie1's concerns (correct me if I'm wrong, Charlie1): What impact has all of this had (if any) on flight catering? Personally, i think I'd be going vego...

A more subtle approach than yours might have elicited this with more tact and respect, Pandora. Were your school report cards ever marked "Does not play well with others?"

[Pandora]

Spartacus,

don't tell me that people in Australasia have only just heard of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease). In 1994 I was a medical researcher in a department that was carrying out work on ribosomes, which were obtained most easily from cows brains and spinal cords. The study (and my friend's PhD) were put to a premature end when there was a ban on the import of the animal tissues in question. They were being imported from New Zealand. While there is current concern about the incubation period of Creuztfeld-Jakob Disease (the human version), measures have been put in place to stop the incidence of BSE in the animal population. As my father-in-law used to be a beef farmer I know a little bit about this as well.

As for the current foot and mouth problem, this is a very unfortunate thing to happen to British farmers after a very long and hard struggle back into the market place. It is believed to have been imported into the UK from another country, possibly a South American one. It is not a disease that people can catch and eating an animal that once had it is not in any way detrimental to human health, although with the culling which is going on in our country you will not be fed meat from an animal which has had foot and mouth.

To answer Charlie1's question, in Britain all bovine products that may contain nervous tissue (eg T-bone steaks, Sunday roast joints) were banned by the government in the 90's but are now allowable again (I believe). The airlines don't generally provide food of this type so there was no need for them to change their menus. As for the current foot and mouth outbreak the only thing which may cause them to change the menu will be a shortage of beef, pork and lamb.

Spartacus, to answer your question, I have always been a most sociable person who gets on well with people, I just don't suffer fools gladly. Nice to see that your first post was in defense of your fellow countryman.

[Tarantella]

The comments ARE relevant- particularly pertaining to Australia.
Australia has not had a recorded incidence of Foot and Mouth Disease since the 1800s (1872 was the last recorded case I believe, but feel free to correct me.)
Quarantine have stepped up their stringent checks even more to ensure that tainted meat products do not enter Australia, as the cost to our exports would be immeasurable if the Australian beef industry was exposed to F & M disease. I did read that Australia has stopped the importation of E.U-sourced meat products and that the E.U. were complaining.
With regards to BSE: Qantas catering ex the UK no longer uses any Beef or Beef by-products (e.g. stock) sourced from the UK. They only use beef from countries pronounced free of BSE- or they substitute other meat products and vegetarian choices.
I hope this information has allayed your concerns.
It seems the only disease that features regularly on this forum is Foot in Mouth Disease ;)

[flapsforty]

Aaaaaah Taran!
Once again you show yourself to be not only intelligent and articulate, but very funny as well!
Foot in Mouth disease huh?
There must be a pprune slogan somewhere in there!! :)

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Singularly Simple Person........

[charlie1]

first of all i would like to thank tarantella for the info on how the airlines are dealing with the above mentioned diseases. i was watching the news and i just wondered how it affected the airlines. so thank you for the info. pandora i am sorry if i offended you with my lack of study into foot and mouth and mad cow disease. i thought people asked questions to be given answers and learn not to be told that they are a fool. also thank you spartacus for using your first post to come to my defense i hope the experience hasn't put you off pprune, it almost put me of, but i got over it!!

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love like you have never been hurt and dance like nobodys watching

[This message has been edited by charlie1 (edited 19 March 2001).]

[Vfrpilotpb]

:MAD:seem like some of the relplies re the CJD/Mad Cow, are from those who have that inbuilt ability to appear already affected, The Uk has had a policy of looking after the bretheren in certain country's in Africa, it is misfortune indeed that we in the UK and Europe have taken hundreds of thousands of tonnes of swinging beef from countries who could not afford to pay hard currency for their wepons and tanks and aircraft, so being honest Joe's what do our government do they take frozen beef, what is rife in Africa, you guessed it Foot & Mouth & TB so Not South America as one educated sole said read Africa( several States and Countries, one whose head was feted last week in France!
If any Antipodean friends ask a question in future, take your head from somewhere dark open your eyes and explain in nice County terms , not like a Sharon.
Have a nice flight , beware of turbulance, it upsets the G&Ts :P

[tomcat 406]

In regards to the mad cow disease .I have to say I love the way britan claims that it was not them that caused the outbreak of foot and mouth when it was after feeding the pellets of protien made up of ground offal from the slaughter houses back in 96 kept on exporting the product to europe because they knew they would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue then came clean after the years later, they even had a minister come on television claiming there was no link between cjd and mad cow

[tomcat 406]

In regards to the mad cow disease .I have to say I love the way britan claims that it was not them that caused the outbreak of foot and mouth when it was after feeding the pellets of protien made up of ground offal from the slaughter houses back in 96 kept on exporting the product to europe because they knew they would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue then came clean after the years later, they even had a minister come on television claiming there was no link between cjd and mad cow
and no pandora we have televisions down under and can read and have heard of bse