Chris Walker Vs. The End Of The Downers

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When he’s not still campaigning for an election he already won, or persuading the American public to embrace the virtues of Socialism, President Barack Obama is doing good things. More specifically, President Obama, his wife, Michelle Obama, and the Obama administration are doing good things. Good things in the realm of food, that is.

President Obama has met with and heeded the message of Alice Waters, perhaps the most well-recognized and outspoken proponent of the Slow Food Movement; he’s read influential agricultural books such as Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma; in January, Obama appointed Sam Kass, a chef who promotes seasonal, local, organic cooking, to work under chef Cristeta Comerford (who is also well-versed in the cooking style) in the White House kitchen. Meanwhile, Mrs. Obama has been digging up the White House lawn to plant a 1,100-square-foot garden, something that will not only be a great future source of organic produce, but is also considered a symbol of the Obama family’s dedication to the education of healthy eating and living, as well as environmentalism.

While that all sounds great, let’s face it: It’s kind of bullshit. Healthy chefs in the White House kitchen? Awesome; I’ll never get to eat their food. Mrs. Obama and her daughters planting kale on the South Lawn? It makes for one helluva photo-op but, really, what difference does it make to me? I don’t care about the vegetables being planting on the White House lawn if the new, quality approach to food doesn’t personally affect me. And by me I mean we, the general public.

Turns out, the changes being made in the White House kitchen are resulting in changes that affect us. A couple weeks ago, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced, “a final rule to amend the federal meat inspection regulations to require a complete ban on the slaughter of cattle that become non-ambulatory disabled after passing initial inspection by Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspection program personnel,” according to a news release published on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website(1). The rule means “downer” cows, or cows too sick to walk on their own(2), are not allowed to enter the American consumer’s meat supply.

Downer cows can pose serious threats to people to eat their meat; they are often linked to mad cow disease and E. Coli. Downer cows were brought into focus last year after the Westland/Hallmark fiasco, which resulted in the recall of 143 million pounds of meat (the largest recall ever). The new rule is a significant victory for the health of American consumers, and it’s all thanks to the Obama administration. Hey, if we can’t eat their vegetables the least they can do is make our meat safer. Now, how about those pesky antibiotics?

1. And you would’ve read about this final rule a couple weeks ago on the Versus had I not been working so hard to keep my job during this recession. Yeah, we’re not getting any bailouts.

2. Which I’ve only talked about, like, a million times now.

Remember: There are companies in the United States that have never condoned the slaughter of downer cows for consumption, nor condone the use of antibiotics and steroids on livestock. Seek them out; seek out the restaurants that use their products. Reward them and yourself: Eat their food.

LINKS:

Obama’s new White House chef Sam Kass will be thinking green & local. Daily News. Rosemary Black.

Ms. Waters Goes to Washington. Gourmet. Marian Burros.

Obamas to Plant Vegetable Garden at White House. The New York Times. Marian Burros.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces Final Rule for Handling of Non-Ambulatory Cattle. United States Department of Agriculture. News Release.

Posted: March 31st, 2009 | Author: Chris Walker | Filed under: Food | 1 Comment »