Tainted Meat = Know Thy Farmer

Recently the Oxford Journal Clinical Infectious Disease released a very alarming report: Almost 50% of the beef, pork, turkey & chicken bought in 5 major cities by researchers contained drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This is very alarming and most importantly unacceptable and "we" consumers can stop this. There are numerous health related issues with this bacteria that include mild skin irritations to the even more serious issues of heart infections (read the link attached) to Sepsis. Sepsis can be a serious situation (like the first two issues weren't freaking serious enough) and can be a life threatening disease calling for urgent and comprehensive care! The initial treatment is antibiotics but.... 52% of the staph bacteria found in by researchers in all of that contaminated meat is resistant to up to nine of the most commonly used antibiotics by your physician according to Lance B. Price the senior author of the report from Translational Genomic Research Institute.

Now most staph bacteria is killed during the cooking process provided you are not eating a med-rare to rare hunk of meat or a plate of carpaccio. And let's don't forget one of the most common issues of cross contamination: The mishandling of your food, defined briefly as using a cutting board after cutting raw meat and then using that same board for cutting vegetables that will be used in a raw dish. The mishandling of foods happens quite often and can land you in the hospital or just a mild case of praying at the porcelain altar. One of the most frequent symptoms is when you have that "I don't feel so great" feeling or you have the "I'm getting a cold/flu" feeling and then several hours later you say "man I'm so healthy I just kicked that colds ass" statement!

Here is the best news "We consumers set the bench mark for what is acceptable and what is not". Yes, I've written this before so just for good measure I will write it again in big bold letters for easy reading:
 
CONSUMERS SET THE BENCH MARK FOR WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT IS NOT.

Get it? Got it!

So with every issue, problem or challenge I like to present you with a solution: KNOW THY FARMER. Not just meeting them at the farmers market, go to the farm and don't just take their word for it ask the hard questions and snoop around.  Of course with their permission.  The point is you are building a relationship with your farmer and your community and bake some great cookies or bread and share your love for food, because "breaking bread" with folks is one of the most primal ways to begin any relationship.

So get off your ass, stop watching mindless & countless hours of reality television, load up the family and friends, grab a couple of Republicans and GO VISIT A FARM NEAR YOU. Don't forget to wear your boots and make sure you take an ice chest with you cause more than likely the folks you are going to visit love nothing more than sharing.

Another way is to research the farms on line and find out where you can buy them. For example on my way home from the New England Culinary Institute Friday I stopped by one of my new favorite General Stores in Pittsfield, VT called oddly enough The Original General Store where you can purchase locally produced farm products, so I bought some great grass fed beef, baby bokchoy and eggs from Amee Farm a working organic farm just down the road ( you can actually stay in a beautiful rustic lodge on the farm) and some great hot Italian Pork Sausage from The Royal Butcher all under the same roof.

Folks my point is simple, it's all about RESPECT and is it worth the chance to jeopardize your heath,the health of your family, your kids and the well-being of the animals? I don't think so. I'm not perfect, but I work hard all the time to make sure I vote with my fork and I work hard to support the products that represent the kind of world I chose to live in.

Be Well, Eat Well & Play hard!

* Pictured at the top is Paul Willis ~Founder and Manager of Niman Ranch Pork Company. Great guy.