Food for thought

Food for thought

This is in response to Mr. Piero Ronci's July 23 letter
regarding British beef. Mr. Ronci, how many people die each year
in Britain from CJD? Currently 50, or less than one in a million.
How many people die each year world-wide from famine and
malnutrition? How many people die each year from smoking related
illnesses? From road traffic accidents? (In 1995 it was 11,516 in
Indonesia alone).

What is the average life expectancy in developing countries?
What is the average age of those who have contracted CJD? Old!
How many people die each year from heart disease? Does eating
beef on a regular basis contribute to heart disease? Do the
British still eat their beef?

It is believed that of the ten cases which may have a possible
link with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy the victims all ate
the infected beef before the late 1980s, that is before the
British government took preventative action seven years ago. The
slaughtering of many thousands of cattle destined for the
abbatoir merely because of their age is unnecessary. It is only
being done because scaremongering by the European (especially
German) press and television reports caused ordinary citizens to
panic. At the height of the scare, Paul Preston, the president of
the British arm of McDonalds, said "We believe that British beef
is safe. However, we cannot ignore the fact that recent
announcements have led to a growing loss of consumer confidence
in British beef."

No one, will force developing countries to buy our beef, the
respective governments can make that decision. The beef sold
would not be from cattle that are at risk. If the world ban is
lifted and Indonesia decides to buy the beef, no one is forcing
anyone else to buy it. And yes, I would eat British beef, in fact
I may well be doing so by the time this letter is printed.

ANNE-MARIE TAPP

Cilegon, West Java