Mad cow disease. Foot-and-mouth disease. E. coli. Listeria. All these diseases are threatening the safety of the food supply, particularly the meat we eat. Food producers, farm organizations, government agencies and citizens are all working at various levels to address concerns over food safety. But those safeguards come with a cost - from higher food prices to the possible demise of the family farm in Minnesota.
S T O R I E S
Foot and Mouth Threatens Tourism
For many parts of our region, tourism is a vital industry. Many farmers and ranchers are getting into the business by opening up their homes and land as vacation spots. Tourism organizations target international travelers with an invitation to come and see the "real" Midwest. Packages promoting farm and ranch stays have some worried that foot and mouth disease could easily find its way to midwestern livestock. Most trust the preventative measures in place while others are taking their own precautions.
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Livestock Illnesses Just a Plane Ride Away
The outbreak of two livestock diseases in Europe is heightening awareness among beef producers in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has introduced stringent efforts to keep both foot-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease out of the country. But some experts say despite the precautions, it's possible the diseases will come to Minnesota at some point. In the new global economy, a virus is only a plane ride away.
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Raising Safer Pork
While Europe is dealing with mad cow disease and a recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, U.S. consumers are growing more interested in where their meat comes from, and how it's raised. That curiosity has spurred the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to pilot a program it hopes will help consumers track the products they buy back to their source - a Minnesota farm.
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Irradiation Changes the Farm
For about a month now, Huisken Meats has been making beef patties in the town of
Sauk Rapids. It's sending many of them off to an Iowa plant, for irradiation treatment.
Scientists generally support irradiation as a way to reduce food-borne illnesses. But some opponents say the practice may also kill off small family-based farms.
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Restaurant Inspections Lead to Spotty Enforcement
Minnesota has a strong reputation for tracking down the causes of foodborne illnesses. But some are concerned about the patchwork approach to restaurant inspection, especially in the Twin Cities area - where some 17 city and county agencies have that responsibility.
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O N T H E A I R
The University of Minnesota has hired an international expert in BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease, to head their new Center for Animal Health and Food Safety in the College of Veterinary Medicine. As a veterinarian, William Hueston has devoted his career to tracking animal diseases and monitoring their health both here and in the United Kingdom. In the early '90s, he led the charge to discover the risks of BSE appearing in the U.S.
MPR's All Things Considered host, Lorna Benson, talked with Hueston about the chances of BSE showing up here. Listen to the interview.
Minnesota officials continue to plan for a possible emergency if foot-and-mouth disease strikes anywhere in the state. Officials with the Department of Public Safety and the Board of Animal Health met recently to discuss what they would do. State Veterinarian Dr. Tom Hagerty told MPR's Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer that the risk of the disease coming here is quite low.
Listen to the interview
Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm talked about the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak on MPR's Midmorning with Katherine Lanpher.
Listen to the program
R E S O U R C E S
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Oversees food safety rules and regulations in Minnesota.
www.foodsafety.gov
Information on safe food handling and food-borne illnesses
International Food Safety Council
Advice on safe food preparation
Centers for Disease Control
FAQ on E. coli
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Facts about foot-and-mouth disease
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Facts about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease
The Land Stewardship Project
Information on sustainable agriculture
The Centers for Disease Control
Information for international travelers
The United Kingdom's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Updated foot-and-mouth disease information in the U.K.
The U.K.'s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Updated BSE (mad cow disease) information in the U.K.
Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
Latest information on foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland
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