I say, what a good time to go gluten free!

[Raineyrocks]

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article3423734.ece



Food shortages loom as wheat crop shrinks and prices rise
Jonathan Leake

THE world is only ten weeks away from running out of wheat supplies after stocks fell to their lowest levels for 50 years.

The crisis has pushed prices to an all-time high and could lead to further hikes in the price of bread, beer, biscuits and other basic foods.

It could also exacerbate serious food shortages in developing countries especially in Africa.

The crisis comes after two successive years of disastrous wheat harvests, which saw production fall from 624m to 600m tonnes, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Experts blame climate change as heatwaves caused a slump in harvests last year in eastern Europe, Canada, Morocco and Australia, all big wheat producers.

Booming populations and a switch to a meat-rich diet in the developing world also mean that about 110m tons of the world's annual wheat crop is being diverted to feed livestock.

Short term pressures have compounded the problem. Speculative buying by investors gambling on further price rises has further pushed up prices.

Though shortages are often blamed on the use of land for biofuel crops, the main biofuel cereal crop is maize, not wheat. Farmers have brought millions of acres of fallow land into production and the FAO predicts that the shortages could be eliminated within 12 months.

[Puke]

Good time for the Atkins diet.

[Raineyrocks]

Good time for the Atkins diet.

That too!

[kola]

rice is nice.

the Atkins DIEt is a joke.

Kola 

[J’raxis 270145]

Good time for the Atkins diet.

More meat eating only requires more grain. (What do the cows eat?)

[Puke]

(What do the cows eat?)

Magic?

[Lloyd Danforth]

Grass, Hay, Soy............

[kola]

Sadly most cows are fed grains and animal blood and animal bone meal so they get to slaugter faster. Not to mention that feeding animal carcass (spinal cord and brain matter) to cows thus causing Mad Cow Dz.

Feeding grains to cows send them into a acidic state so badly that they become ill and that is why they have to pump them with antibiotics non stop. If they didn't the cow would die. You need lots of fresh pasture to grass feed a cow or spend more bucks to purchase hay. It is very pricey and takes much longer for the cow to mature.

There are few companies that sell strictly sell grass fed beef. It tastes completely different. I have not eaten grain fed cattle in years. It makes me ill. The funny thing is if I give someone some of my grass fed meat many of them instantly think it tastes bad because they are so accustomed to their grainfed mucous-puss balled cow gunk. Elk raised on grass is as good as it gets. I am lucky to have friend who raises natural grass fed elk and I usually buy one or two a year, have it processed and stock the freezers. It figures out that I spend about 2 dollars a pound on meat and even less if a hunter gives me a deer or antalope etc.

Kola

[feralfae]

Good time for the Atkins diet.

More meat eating only requires more grain. (What do the cows eat?)

If one eats elk, deer, caribou and moose, all organically grown and grain-free, I don't think more grain is required.   
But, yes, I have been potentially diagnosed with a gluten intolerance, so I am now experiencing gluten-free by necessity.  I guess they will run more tests in a month or so.  Interesting, but not difficult. I was raised on rice rather than wheat anyway.

[ReverendRyan]

Sadly most cows are fed grains and animal blood and animal bone meal so they get to slaugter faster.

No, It's grain because it's the cheapest available bulk diet. And in the US, the feeding of mammalian byproducts to ruminants ended in 1997.

Not to mention that feeding animal carcass (spinal cord and brain matter) to cows thus causing Mad Cow Dz.

No, only feeding them infected animal byproducts spreads BSE.

Feeding grains to cows send them into a acidic state so badly that they become ill and that is why they have to pump them with antibiotics non stop. If they didn't the cow would die.

No, in any animal population, the more densely populated, the easier it is for illnesses to spread. Hence, antibiotics. To keep the cattle and the customer safe.

To date, the US has reported 3 cases of BSE and 3 cases of vCJD. In contrast, 100-200 cases of brucellosis (undulant fever) are reported in the US annually, many contracted from, you guessed it, elk.

I'd say beef is pretty damn safe.

[kola]

I'd say beef is pretty damn safe.

yeah, real safe.

"The recall (of 143 million pounds) at the California plant, which is owned by the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., is not the first such case, though it is the largest. In fact, the United States just completed what is arguably the worst year for beef safety in its history. In 2007, there were 21 beef recalls nationwide for possible E. coli contamination, the most in five years; the amount of beef recalled—33.4 million pounds—was a new record."

Feb 18, 08 http:143 million pounds of beef banned //www.ajc.com/health/content/news/stories/2008/02/18/meat_0218.html

Sept 07, 21.7 million pounds of beef recalled http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/29/meat.recall/index.html


I''l post more later,
Kola

[Raineyrocks]

I'd say beef is pretty damn safe.

yeah, real safe.

"The recall (of 143 million pounds) at the California plant, which is owned by the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., is not the first such case, though it is the largest. In fact, the United States just completed what is arguably the worst year for beef safety in its history. In 2007, there were 21 beef recalls nationwide for possible E. coli contamination, the most in five years; the amount of beef recalled—33.4 million pounds—was a new record."

Feb 18, 08 http:143 million pounds of beef banned //www.ajc.com/health/content/news/stories/2008/02/18/meat_0218.html

Sept 07, 21.7 million pounds of beef recalled http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/29/meat.recall/index.html


I''l post more later,
Kola

What about beef that says it's hormone free and only grain fed but does not have an organic label on it?  That's what I buy and I've wondered for some time if that's safe.

[ReverendRyan]

I'd say beef is pretty damn safe.

yeah, real safe.

"The recall (of 143 million pounds) at the California plant, which is owned by the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., is not the first such case, though it is the largest. In fact, the United States just completed what is arguably the worst year for beef safety in its history. In 2007, there were 21 beef recalls nationwide for possible E. coli contamination, the most in five years; the amount of beef recalled—33.4 million pounds—was a new record."

Feb 18, 08 http:143 million pounds of beef banned //www.ajc.com/health/content/news/stories/2008/02/18/meat_0218.html

Sept 07, 21.7 million pounds of beef recalled http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/29/meat.recall/index.html


I''l post more later,
Kola

READ, then speak.

The recall in question was NOT over any contamination, it was punishment for the company not licking the boots of regulators. Nearly all the beef involved was consumed long ago, with no known reports of any illness. It's essentially a government effort to put Westland out of business.

Recalls for possible E. coli contamination are usually voluntary and reflect improvements in quality control, not decline in quality.

[Lloyd Danforth]

The recall in question was NOT over any contamination, it was punishment for the company not licking the boots of regulators. Nearly all the beef involved was consumed long ago, with no known reports of any illness. It's essentially a government effort to put Westland out of business.

You got it!   Kola should have gotten it too

[Puke]

Soylent Green is the only thing that will save us all!!!