A rchive Date
[ 22-05-2003 ]
Category
[ Science ]
sub-Categoy
[ Microbiology ]
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[http://www.canoe.ca/Columnists/platt.html
In perspective
By MICHAEL PLATT - Calgary Sun
May 22, 2003
No hamburgers at McDonald's.
Amidst the mad cow mayhem that gripped Britain in 1996, the temporary banning of burgers by fast food giant McDonald's was the most poignant symbol of a nation stricken by fear of the unknown.
The unknown. That was the key worry for those trapped in a nation known for its love of beef: Roast beef, beef sausage, oxtail soup, steak and kidney pies. Even a favourite sweet, wine gums, were made from beef. For Britons, it seemed their favourite food had bitten back. After years of government promises and pleas to the contrary, it turned out mad cow disease could indeed be transferred to humans, and even kill them in a slow, horrible way.
But no one was really sure how mad cow disease went from bovine to human - how a tasty meat pie eaten up to 20 years earlier could turn around and eat you, specifically your brain. It made little sense, and scientists were slow in providing answers that people could, so to speak, sink their teeth into.
The confusion over fact and fiction is what led to situations like that in my cousin's freezer in Bolton, England, where stacks of T-bone and ribeye steaks fought for room with pot roasts. The bottom had fallen out of the beef market, and with a good steak costing little more than a tin of soup, my cousin - a student who could barely afford to eat pasta - decided the risk was worth it, and went beef crazy.
She joked about contracting mad cow, as did many who chose cheap prime rib over a certain future. And there were many who felt the risk was well worth a good, tasty meal. In fact, according to 2001 statistics, while the scare triggered a drop of 27% in beef consumption across Europe, in Britain, sales actually rose by 3%
The other side of the equation were those who avoided beef at all costs, even going so far as turning vegetarian, as if that might cleanse them of cattle eaten in the past. On an island where vegetables are an afterthought served well-boiled or not at all, carrots and potatoes joined tofu and fish as a safe, but bland, main course.
Three words seldom uttered by Englishmen were heard everywhere: Pass the salad.
Eating lunch with a beef-avoiding friend in an Edinburgh park, I remember trying to convince myself a mashed patty of what appeared to be pre-eaten curry, lentils and peas was just as good as a burger. The concoction was McDonald's attempt at currying favour among the anti-beef lobby. McYuck!
Mickey-D's wasn't alone.
Cosmetic companies recalled beef-based make-up, airlines banned beef dishes, and fast-food outlets started importing their meat from outside Britain. The buzzword in 1996 Britain was fear. The lack of information meant there was no way to sit on the fence - if you lived in the U.K. that year, you either gorged yourself on beef, or avoided it like the plague.
So who was right? It turns out those who stood by their beef were probably safe to do so, especially those who ate steak and roast beef.
It took another year for an American scientist to locate the key to the mad cow puzzle. They're little devils called prions, and they occur naturally as a protein in the body, especially in the nervous system. Eat infected brain or spinal column, and you're asking for trouble.
But the best science available now shows muscle meat like steaks, prime rib and pot roasts are safe to eat, even in the presence of mad cow. There just aren't enough prions.
The difference between Alberta 2003 and Britain 1996 comes down to good information. Britain was victimized as much by rumour and confusion as by mad cow. It was mayhem fed by mystery.
Mad cow is now much better understood, and its dangers easy to put into perspective. You're far more likely to choke on a chicken bone while avoiding beef than to catch mad cow while eating a steak.
Albertans should be concerned, but shouldn't panic - especially when tofu and lentils are the alternative.
Letters to the editor should be sent to callet@sunpub.com. ]
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