ruthcatrin
Well-Known Member
I actually saw this article a while back, but never got around to posting it. I was reminded of it today.
Its bad enough that we had to watch out for aflatoxin problems in the grains portion of our animals diets. Now that highly contaminated grain has been approved to be used as animal feed....and studies have confirmed that animals fed on feed so contaminated then have measurable levels of aflatoxin in their organs and meat. Yes an appropriate period without the contaminated feed reduces or removes the toxin from the meat, but they already barely manage that with antibiotics and other meds, now they're supposed to pony up for non-contaminated feed (the price of which is going to skyrocket considering what the drought did to US farming, farmers are already feeding their cows candy because costs of regular feed is so high) too? Somehow I don't think thats going to happen. And that assumes that they're testing for aflatoxin in the slaughtering process anyway. Cooking doesn't reliably kill aflatoxin either, depending on the type of food in question cooking only kills anywhere from 45% to 70% of the toxin. And it doesn't take much at ALL to induce kidney and liver problems in animals, and that doesn't take into account the cancer causing properties of aflatoxin.
Considering that the pet food industry already has no problem using items that are 'unfit for human consumption' in their products where do you think any contaminated meat products are likely to end up? Those of us who feed human grade raw are likely going to be better off, but even there.....
Its bad enough that we had to watch out for aflatoxin problems in the grains portion of our animals diets. Now that highly contaminated grain has been approved to be used as animal feed....and studies have confirmed that animals fed on feed so contaminated then have measurable levels of aflatoxin in their organs and meat. Yes an appropriate period without the contaminated feed reduces or removes the toxin from the meat, but they already barely manage that with antibiotics and other meds, now they're supposed to pony up for non-contaminated feed (the price of which is going to skyrocket considering what the drought did to US farming, farmers are already feeding their cows candy because costs of regular feed is so high) too? Somehow I don't think thats going to happen. And that assumes that they're testing for aflatoxin in the slaughtering process anyway. Cooking doesn't reliably kill aflatoxin either, depending on the type of food in question cooking only kills anywhere from 45% to 70% of the toxin. And it doesn't take much at ALL to induce kidney and liver problems in animals, and that doesn't take into account the cancer causing properties of aflatoxin.
Considering that the pet food industry already has no problem using items that are 'unfit for human consumption' in their products where do you think any contaminated meat products are likely to end up? Those of us who feed human grade raw are likely going to be better off, but even there.....
