Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news36~5.htm/text0019.txt

Text File | 1998-04-03 | 36.0 KB | 896 lines

from Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) web page:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Wednesday, April 2, 1997

Contact: Bill Bryant 202/332-9110 ext. 370 or Penelope Miller, 332-9110
ext. 358

Heather Klinkhamer, S.T.O.P., 202/332-9110

 Bumper Crop of Illnesses Traced to FDA-Regulated Foods, Like Fruit Juice,
Lettuce and Shellfish

      Consumer Organizations Call on Clinton to Form New Food Agency

WASHINGTON, DC--Consumer organizations today called on President Clinton to
form a new independent food agency to address existing and emerging hazards
in the food supply. Citing recent examples of deadly bacteria in unexpected
foods, such as lettuce and unpasteurized juice, the groups warned of more
"bumper crops of illnesses."

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and Safe Tables Our
Priority (S.T.O.P.) urged President Clinton to form an independent federal
food agency to assure American consumers that existing and emerging food
hazards will be fully addressed.

"Bacteria in hamburger killed my son. Now it's showing up in more foods,
like lettuce and unpasteurized juice," said Nancy Donley, president of
S.T.O.P. "We have one food supply. We need one food agency."

In 1996, there were numerous food safety problems with FDA-regulated food
products, including:

   * A parasite, Cyclospora, on raspberries from Guatemala caused over 1000
     consumer illnesses all over the country and in Canada.

   * E. coli poisoning outbreaks traced to lettuce caused at least 100
     consumer illnesses in three states.

   * E. coli and Cryptosporidium poisoning from unpasteurized juice
     products, including Odwalla juice, caused over 100 consumer illnesses
     and one death in at least 5 states.

   * 23 deaths were traced to one bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, in raw
     shellfish.

   * Over 70 consumer illnesses from shellfish were traced to raw oysters
     from Louisiana. In January 1997, in another major outbreak, over 400
     consumers became ill from oysters.

Many of those examples represent emerging food safety problems. The groups
noted, however, that the agency in charge of those serious hazards, the
Food and Drug Administration, is poorly-funded and inadequately staffed.

"Last year, there was a bumper crop of foodborne illnesses from
FDA-regulated foods," said Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety
at the CSPI. "Years of inadequate funding have left FDA with a food safety
program that is little more than a recall agency for contaminated foods."

"FDA hasn't controlled food hazards that already exist, like deadly
bacteria in oysters." said Vicki Peal, a Florida schoolteacher who lost her
father to deadly oysters. "I fear the consequences of having this agency
oversee new food safety threats."

The organizations praised the Clinton Administration for taking positive
steps to improve food safety by adopting mandatory systems for preventing
contamination in meat, poultry and seafood plants. However, in a memo to
the President, they warned that piecemeal reform was not enough.

"The bottom line is that consumers are paying a terrible price for the
inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of the existing system of foodborne
illness prevention," the groups advised the President. "It is time to
reinvent and rationalize the system."

The groups said that "piecemeal reforms" are not enough. "We need
fundamental reform," they advised the President, "if we are to benefit from
a more effective food safety system. We need a single federal food agency
to address the unacceptably high rate of foodborne illness and inconsistent
food safety policies across the federal government.

"We need the government to adopt food safety assurance systems that are
proactive in identifying and preventing contamination rather than waiting
until large food poisoning outbreaks and public outcry make action a
political necessity."

Also signing onto the memorandum to the President are Consumer Federation
of America, Public Voice for Food and Health Policy, Government
Accountability Project, and United States Humane Society.

CSPI is a nonprofit health-advocacy organization that focuses on nutrition
and food safety. It is based in Washington, D.C., and is supported largely
by its 900,000 members. It does not accept industry or government funding.
CSPI led efforts to win passage of the law requiring nutrition labels on
food packages and has publicized the nutritional content of many popular
restaurant foods.

S.T.O.P., Safe Tables Our Priority, is the only national grassroots
organization representing foodborne illness victims, their friends, and
families. S.T.O.P. maintains a victims assistance hotline, 1-800-350-STOP.

Date: Sat, 05 Apr 1997 13:05:38 -0500
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Soybeans, Corn Fall on Taiwan News
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


("all things are connected")
from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
04/04/1997 11:46 EST

 Soybeans, Corn Fall on Taiwan News

 CHICAGO (AP) -- Corn and soybeans futures prices fell early today on
Chicago's
 Board of Trade on plans by Taiwan to limit imports of the feed and kill
many of its
 diseased pigs.

 Taiwan will halt soybean imports for three months as it slaughters up to
1.5 million
 hogs vulnerable to hoof-and-mouth disease, the U.S. Agriculture Department
attache
 in Taiwan said. The disease is not harmful to humans but is fatal to
animals.

 The USDA announcement comes as heavy export sales finally taper off. The
amount
 of soybeans sold for export last week was almost half recent averages, an
agency
 report indicated Thursday.

 Taiwan, one of the United States' most consistent customers, also will
need 1.5
 million fewer tons of corn to feed its declining pork population.

 That adds to a dull export picture. South Korea is buying Chinese corn
instead of
 pricey U.S. grain, and it appears other countries are shopping elsewhere
as well.
 There was no news overnight of export sales.

 Last week's corn export sales were less than half of the previous week and
far below
 analysts' expectations.

 Wheat futures fell in sympathy with soybeans and on beneficial rain that
has fallen in
 Midwestern wheat fields this week.

 Soybeans for May delivery fell 7 cents to $8.64 a bushel; May corn fell 2╛
cents to
 $2.98╝ a bushel; July wheat fell 3 cents to $3.70 a bushel; May oats fell
2╜ cents to
 $1.68╜ a bushel.

 Livestock futures prices were mostly lower on the Chicago Mercantile
Exchange.

 Hog futures fell after Japan denied it might lower restrictive tariffs by
25 percent and
 thus import more pork from the United States.

 Wholesale prices have shot up 24 percent since the middle of March when Japan
 banned Taiwanese imports after the hoof-and-mouth outbreak. Some analysts
 speculated a reduction in tariffs would spark U.S. exports to Japan by as
much as 70
 percent.

 April lean hogs fell .7 cent to 73.27 cents a pound; May frozen pork
bellies fell 1.87
 cents to 78.30 cents a pound; April live cattle fell .3 cent to 67.77
cents a pound; April
 feeder cattle rose .32 cent to 70.52 cents a pound.
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 10:09:53 -0800 (PST)
>From: Mike Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail]
Subject: NJ Alert: Protect Black Bears from Hunting!
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

NEW JERSEY ALERT

DON'T LET NEW JERSEY PUT BLACK BEARS UNDER THE GUN!

Although there are only an estimated 350 black bears in New Jersey, the
Division of Fish, Game & Wildlife wants to expose them to sport hunting.
Assemblymember Kevin O'Toole has introduced A-2016 to prohibit the hunting
of black bears, and the bill is currently in the Environment, Science, and
Technology Committee. Please contact the seven members of the Committee
listed below, and ASK THEM TO SUPPORT A-2016.

* Steve Corodemus, Chairman, 908-229-6070 (phone), 908-229-6323 (fax)
* John Rooney, Vice-Chairman, 201-967-8910 (phone), 201-967-0331 (fax)
* Francis Bodine, 609-234-8080 (phone), 609-234-3990 (fax)
* David Wolfe, 908-840-9028 (phone), 908-840-9757 (fax)
* Barbara Wright, 609-395-8260 (phone), 609-395-8572 (fax)
* Reed Gusciora, 609-292-0500 (phone), 609-633-2179 (fax)
* Robert Smith, 908-752-0770 (phone), 908-752-1590 (fax)

You can write to the members above, as well as to your own State
Assemblymember and State Senator, at The Honorable __________, State
Capitol, 125 West State Street, Trenton, NJ, 08625. Please tell them:

* Bear problems can be resolved with education, electric fencing, and
properly stored food and trash.
* With only 350 bears in the state, a sport hunting season may jeopardize
the survival of the population.
* Most New Jersey residents want to protect bears; fewer than 2 percent of
New Jersey residents hunt.

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 10:09:37 -0800 (PST)
>From: Mike Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail]
Subject: LA Alert: Bills to ban Cockfighting and Canned Hunts!
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

LOUISIANA ALERT

SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO BAN COCKFIGHTING AND CANNED HUNTS!

Two important pro-animal bills are now before the Louisiana Legislature.
Please call or write both your State Representative and State Senator in
Baton Rouge immediately and ask them to vote "YES" on:

HB 1983 -- A BILL TO BAN COCKFIGHTING. Louisiana is one of only five states
that still allows the barbaric bloodsport of cockfighting. Cocks are
equipped with razor-sharp "gaffs" on their legs, and are forced to fight
until the death. Tell your legislators that this bloodsport has no place in
a civilized society.

HB 1523 -- A BILL TO BAN CANNED HUNTS. At cruel and unsporting "canned
hunts," wealthy trophy hunters pay to shoot captive animals on fenced-in
ranches. HB 1523 would prohibit the shooting of captive mammals on fenced-in
ranches, and would stop this "shooting fish in a barrel" industry in Louisiana.

Contact your State Representative and State Senator at the address or phone
number below. If you do not know who your State Representative and State
Senator are, call your library, town hall, or League of Women Voters.

  The Honorable __________The Honorable __________
 Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana Senate
    PO Box 94062PO Box 94183
  Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9062Baton Rouge, LA 70804
   Phone: [phone]Phone: [phone]

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 10:09:21 -0800 (PST)
>From: Mike Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail]
Subject: CT Alert: Lobbying Day April 23!
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

CONNECTICUT ALERT

JOIN US IN HARTFORD FOR LOBBYING DAY ON APRIL 23!

Two important pro-animal bills are now before the Connecticut General
Assembly. Please call both your State Representative and State Senator in
Hartford immediately and ask them to vote "YES" on:

HB 6577 -- "An Act Concerning the Control of Nuisance Wildlife." Last fall a
nuisance wildlife control trapper was arrested for drowning two raccoons off
a West Haven dock. He's claiming that the Department of Environmental
Protection encourages such practices. HB 6577 will prohibit nuisance control
trappers from using cruel methods such as drowning, body-crushing traps, and
other "tools of the trade" such as injections of paint thinner! It will also
require them to receive training in prevention measures and humane capture
and release.

HB 6517 -- "An Act Concerning the Animal Protection Control Fund." The state
spay/neuter program at municipal pounds has been suspended due to lack of
funds. HB 6517 would provide funding by creating a special spay/neuter
license plate and by reducing the cash rebate after an adopter has the
animal sterilized.

(Call 1-800-842-1420 for Senate Democrats, 1-800-842-1421 for Senate
Republicans, 1-800-842-8267 for House Democrats, and 1-800-842-1423 for
House Republicans. Call your Registrar of Voters to find out which Senator
and Representative represent you.)

After you call your legislators about these two bills, VISIT THEM IN PERSON
AT THE FIRST EVER ANIMAL LOBBY DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL! Come to the
gold-domed Capitol Building in Hartford on April 23 and learn about the
legislative process, meet other animal advocates from around the state, and
meet your legislators. TO REGISTER PLEASE CALL JULIE LEWIN AT THE FUND FOR
ANIMALS AT 860-521-7290 RIGHT AWAY!

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 11:02:02 -0800
>From: [e-mail] (IGHA/HorseAid Volunteer)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: USDA
Message-ID: <v02140b01af6afd4e1cab@[206.250.105.39]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

What?

Horseburgers in the White House??

------

(see: http://home.earthlink.net/~ighahorseaid/news.html - Smokey Jett Jr.'s
"politically INcorrect DOGma HOUSE", and
http://home.earthlink.net/~ighahorseaid/legis.html for details)


Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 14:00:45 -0500 (EST)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Huge Fur Protest
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Hello Everyone,

There will be a huge protest of Winters Furs in Red Bank, New Jersey on
Saturday, April 12th at 1:00pm. Many members of adl-Syracuse are attending.
If you want to carpool with them contact Joel Capolongo at 315-453-2297. If
you want to attend and you're in NJ contact Krazy Mike 908-974-8903.

Protesting  and accessories are being discussed. Contact Mike.

Peace,
Sue.
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 15:08:44 -0800 (PST)
>From: Mike Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: MN Alert: Don't Let Hunters Hijack the Constitution!
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>>MINNESOTA ACTION ALERT
>>
>>DON'T LET HUNTERS HIJACK THE CONSTITUTION!
>>
>>Hunting lobbyists are again trying to amend the state constitution to make
>>recreational hunting a constitutional right. Such an amendment may prohibit
>>the future enactment of any restrictions on hunting. Please contact your
>>State Senator and State Representative and ask them to oppose any proposal
>>to make hunting a right.
>>
>>To find out who your State Senator and State Representative are, please call
>>Senate Information at [phone], House Information at [phone],
>>or the League of Women Voters at [phone]. You may get their direct
>>telephone numbers from the Information offices, or write:
>>
>>The Honorable __________
>>Minnesota State Senate/House of Representatives
>>Saint Paul, MN 55155
>>
>>Here are a few points you may wish to make:
>>* There is no constitutional right to food, shelter, or a job, so why should
>>hunters be so privileged?
>>* Legislators should not be prevented from making educated decisions on
>>future laws concerning wildlife.
>>* The state would be subject to lawsuits from hunters who claim a "right" to
>>longer seasons or bag limits.
>>* The constitutional right to hunt was defeated last year, and should simply
>>be laid to rest permanently.
>>
>>If you have any questions about this legislation, please contact Linda
>>Hatfield at [phone] or <[e-mail]>. Thank you!
>>
>>
>
>

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 20:39:43 -0500
>From: [e-mail] (David Lee Winston Miller)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [US] Mountain Goat Shooting Plan / Olympic National Park Update
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


As most of you know, the Olympic Mountain Goats are threatened with a
possible shooting plan designed to wipe them out.  (Many of you have already
written on this issue.)  The Park Service continues to claim that the goats
are non-native despite evidence to the contrary.

The following is an excerpt from the park's "Olympic National Park
Update--The Quarterly Newsletter of Olympic National Park" just released and
dated March 31, 1997  Vol. II, No. 1.  (I found it at
http://www.nps.gov/olym/qrtly3.txt --file dated as Last Modified on 04/02/97
13:37:08 Local time.)

>Discussions Continue On
>Mountain Goat Management
>
>The NPS and the Department of the
>Interior continue discussions with
>Congressman Norm Dicks' office, aimed at
>reaching a mutual understanding regarding
>non-native mountain goat management in
>Olympic National Park. This most recent
>round of talks began in December in
>response to concerns raised by Congressman
>Norm Dicks, as well as many members of
>the public. During this interim discussion
>period, the Environmental Impact
>Statement process remains on hold.

In an earlier letter, dated March 5, the National Park Service mentioned "a
preferred alternative of elimination of mountain goats within Olympic
National Park by shooting."  On the positive side, the Park Service noted
that "Future management of mountain goats is currently under discussion
within the NPS and the Department of the Interior."

The Park Service is feeling the heat, but possibly hoping the issue will
cool down.  To keep the issue alive, please see:
   http://www.sunyit.edu/~millerd1/GOATSUPD.HTM

--Winston Miller
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
David Lee Winston Miller  (a.k.a. "Winston Miller")
 Mail: [e-mail]
 Homepage: http://www.sunyit.edu/~millerd1
*****************************************************************

Date: Fri, 4 Apr 97 23:02:25 -0000
>From: clash <[e-mail]>
To: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Massachusetts Man  Sentenced for Illegal Alaska Hunting
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

>  Massachusetts Man
>              Sentenced for Illegal Alaska Hunting
>
>A Massachusetts man who hunted illegally in Alaska will pay nearly $30,000
>in
>fines and restitution and will not be able to hunt during his two-year
>probation
>as punishment for violating federal wildlife protection laws.  Because of
>the
>felony conviction, he will never again be able to own a firearm.
>
>In a week-long trial last autumn in a Springfield, Mass., courtroom filled
>with
>life-size mounted game animals, a federal jury convicted Lawrence J.
>Romano, 50,
>of Mount Washington, Mass., of six felony charges for hunting without a
>valid
>license in Alaska and then transporting the illegally taken game across
>state
>lines.  Those actions violated the Lacey Act, a federal statute regulating
>the
>sale and purchase of wildlife in interstate commerce. Romano operates several
>tatoo parlors in the Northeast.
>
>During the March 27 sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor
>fined Romano $20,000.  In addition, Judge Ponsor ordered Romano to pay the
>State
>of Alaska $9,994 in restitution of lost hunting license revenue and placed
>him
>on supervised probation for two years.
>
>As a condition of his probation, Romano will not be allowed to hunt or to
>be in
>the company of people engaged in hunting anywhere in the world during his
>probation.
>
>The judge also ordered that firearms would not be allowed in the Romano
>residence during the probationary period and advised Romano that, as a
>convicted
>felon, he would never be authorized to possess a firearm for the rest of his
>life.
>
>Judge Ponsor also approved a forfeiture order for six big game mounts that
>wildlife agents seized from Romano's home in February 1995.  These mounts
>included Dall sheep, moose and caribou that had been killed illegally in
>Alaska.
>A life-size brown bear mount, seized from the Romano residence, was
>previously
>forfeited to the government as part of a civil action.
>
>During the criminal trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Romano
>illegally hunted in Alaska from 1990 through 1994 without a valid Alaska
>hunting
>license and then transported the illegally killed animals to
>Massachusetts.  The
>prosecution provided documentation showing that Romano falsely claimed to
>be an
>Alaska resident on his application for an Alaska hunting license, thereby
>saving
>thousands of dollars in hunting and licensing fees.  Because Romano
>purchased
>the services of Alaska guides during the course of his illegal hunting
>activities and then transported the unlawfully taken wildlife across state
>lines, his conduct violated the felony section of the Lacey Act.
>
>While searching the Romano residence, state and federal wildlife agents
>discovered a live black bear in a cage behind his house and a live
>copperhead
>snake, which is an endangered species in Massachusetts, in the cellar.  Both
>animals were possessed in violation of state law and were seized by the
>Massachusetts Environmental Police, with the assistance of officers of the
>Animal Rescue League of Boston.  Romano paid a $5,000 fine in state court
>stemming from these violations.
>
>This case was investigated by special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
>Service from Boston, New York and Anchorage, Alaska; the Massachusetts
>Environmental Police; the Massachusetts State Police; and investigators
>from the
>Alaska State Troopers Fish and Wildlife Protection.  The case was
>prosecuted by
>Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini of the Major Crimes Unit and Trial
>Attorney Charles W. Brooks of the Justice Department's Environmental
>Division.
>
>                             -FWS-
>
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 97 23:08:31 -0000
>From: clash <[e-mail]>
To: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Dr. Goodall to Speak in the Twin Cities!
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Dr. Jane Goodall, a veteran of over 35 years of scientific study of the
Chimpanzees of Gombe Stream, Tanzania, Africa, has moved her written
reports to be archived at the University of Minnesota.

"Base Camp Minnesota" is planning a welcome party to Dr. Goodall which
will including a welcome address from both the mayors of the Twin Cities,
Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Dr. Goodall will then present one hour of her slides of Chimpanzees from
Gombe Stream, FREE to the PUBLIC at College of Saint Catherine in Saint
Paul on April, 19th 1997 at noon.  Seating is limited so be sure to call
early to reserve your seats; only two tickets will be issued per call and
the box office will mail out the tickets up to the week of the event.
Call the O'Shaunessey Auditorium Box Office at 690-6700.

This event is sponsored by The Environmental Law Society at Hamline
University School of Law, Saint Thomas and Saint Catherines & Aveda.


D'Arcy Kemnitz
And Justice for All
Box D2063 Hamline University School of Law
1536 Hewitt Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota  55104
[phone]
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 12:57:03 +0800 (SST)
>From: vadivu <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (HK) Chicken deaths prompt disease alert
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>Hong Kong Standard, 5 Apr 97
Chicken deaths prompt disease alert
By Yau Wai-ping and Fong Tak-ho

THE Department of Health was put on alert on Friday after news
that a disease has killed more than 1.7 million chickens in Guangzhou
in the past few months.

A Hong Kong government spokesman said the department would ensure
there was no health risk to Hong Kong people.

He said consumers need not be concerned because the territory had an
efficient quarantine mechanism for preventing sick animals crossing
the border.

Ng Fong Hong Ltd, which distributes food from China, said it only
imported chickens from Dongguan and Shenzhen.

The Guangzhou government said the epidemic was under control.

Unqualified vets and poor knowledge of disease prevention were to
blame for the chicken plague, China's official "Nanfang Daily"
said on Friday.

The paper said the outbreak was sparked late last year in southern
Guangzhou, and soon spread to most parts of the city.

The plague had cost at least 10 million yuan (HK$9.3 million).

A Chinese official said the chances of someone accidentally eating
contaminated chicken were slim, as the taste, texture and colour of
the meat changed once the chicken was infected.

A Guangzhou resident contacted by the "Hong Kong Standard" on
Friday said people there were still buying chicken and the price had
not been affected by the incident.

Another resident was unaware of the outbreak since it had not been
reported on local television.

Guangzhou was hit by a massive food poisoning case last week in which
at least 100 children became ill after having eaten food believed to
have been tainted with rat poison .

Two of the victims died.

The Guangzhou government said the epidemic would not pose a health
risk to residents because no chicken dealers would buy dead chickens
from farmers.

It told Guangzhou residents to consume chickens normally because
chickens killed by the epidemic would not be sold in markets.




Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 12:57:20 +0800 (SST)
>From: vadivu <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (CN) UK expert smells a rat in ear `cloning' claim
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


 >Hong Kong Standard, 5 Apr 97
UK expert smells a rat in ear `cloning' claim
By Fong Tak-ho
The purported human ear allegedly grown from cells and
grafted onto a live rat.

A SHANGHAI surgeon claims to have used a cloning process to grow
a human ear and graft it on to a rat _ but a Western expert has
dismissed it as a publicity stunt.

Dr Cao Yilin, who says he grew the ear from human cells and cartilage
then transplanted it surgically on to the rat's body, predicted on
Friday that the process could one day be used to grow vital organs for
transplant.

Dr Cao said it also would remove the necessity for patients' own
tissue to be grafted to repair damage from injuries or diseases such
as cancer. He said the organ-cloning technology should be sufficiently
mature by the turn of the century to be used for replication of bone,
trachea, liver, muscle and skin. But a London University cloning
expert said such procedures were impossible at present.

Professor Steve Cheung said a similar claim was publicised 18 months
ago but it turned out to be a plastic ear attached to a mouse. ``The
same story has appeared again and I think it's nothing but a publicity
stunt.''




Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 12:57:31 +0800 (SST)
>From: vadivu <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (TW) Taiwanese admit wrong vaccine used to stem hog disease
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>The Straits Times, 5 Apr 97
Taiwanese admit wrong vaccine used to stem hog disease
TAIPEI -- A wrong vaccine has been used to counter the
     widespread hog disease in Taiwan because inaccurate tests were
     used to determine its effectiveness, admitted embarrassed Taiwan
     officials.

        The Taiwan Council of Agriculture said that three million tubes
     of vaccine, a mixture of the 01 and Asia1 solutions, were ordered.
     But it has since instructed the supplier to change the remaining
     supply which had not been used to the pure 01-type, according to
     a report in the Lianhe Zaobao newspaper.

        The officials have also attempted to allay public fear by insisting
     that the diluted vaccine was just as effective in preventing
     healthy pigs from getting the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease.
     But these claims were repudiated immediately by the head of the
     Veterinary Faculty of the National Taiwan University, who said
     that it "might not be as effective".

        Since the announcement of the hog epidemic on March 20, more
     than 1.5 million pigs have been afflicted with the disease.



Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 12:57:37 +0800 (SST)
>From: vadivu <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (CN) Poison catch
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>The Straits Times, 5 Apr 97
EAST ASIA FILE

POISON CATCH: The health authorities in
     the southern Chinese port of Zhuhai seized four tonnes of
     blowfish from boats, the China Daily reported yesterday. The fish
     is banned in China because of its poisonous internal organs. The
     boat owners were fined 5,000 yuan (S$860) each, and the 209
     boxes of fish were destroyed. -- AFP.

Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 12:57:45 +0800 (SST)
>From: vadivu <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Chronic diseases to cost US a bomb
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>The Straits Times - APR 5 1997
     Chronic diseases to cost US a bomb
ATLANTA -- The cost of treating chronic diseases could reach
     "mind-boggling" heights as the population in the United States
     aged over the next 20 years unless preventive efforts were
     increased dramatically, health officials warned on Thursday.

      A St Louis University study, published by the US Centres for
     Disease Control and Prevention, showed state public-health
     departments allocated only about 3 per cent of their budgets
     currently to prevention and control efforts.

      In 1994, just over US$287 million (S$413 million) was spent at
     the state level on preventive efforts aimed at the six leading
     chronic diseases -- heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, chronic
     obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic liver disease.

        The figure represented 0.07 per cent of the estimated US$425
     billion spent annually to treat those same diseases, the study
     showed.

       Dr Ross Brownson, director of St Louis University's Prevention
     Centre, said: "At least spending one-tenth of that on prevention
     seems to me to make sense. There's such a huge amount spent at
     the other end, and we know prevention would save us dollars up
     the road in a big way."

         Chronic diseases, which are largely preventable, account for about
     two-thirds of all medical expenditure in the US and nearly
     three-quarters of all deaths.

       Experts said that the financial toll of treatment could be
     expected to rise dramatically as the American population aged in
     coming decades, compounding problems for federal Medicare and
     Medicaid health-care programmes. -- Reuter.



Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 12:57:51 +0800 (SST)
>From: vadivu <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (UK) 'Stressed cows' feeling better as suit is settled
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>The Straits Times , APR 5 1997
     'Stressed cows' feeling better as suit is settled

CHARLESTON (Maine) -- Farmer Richard Hall said he and his
     cows were feeling better even if they did not get everything they
     wanted in a court battle with an electric company, the Bangor
     Daily News said on Thursday.

       Mr Hall had filed a suit against Bangor Hydro, claiming that his
     cows were producing less milk because they were being zapped by
     small amounts of electricity escaping into the ground from a
     utility line.

       The two sides reached an out-of-
     court settlement this week, the exact terms of which were not
     released.

        Mr Hall claimed a US$350,000 (S$510,650) loss between 1986 and
     1992 due to reduced milk production but was not satisfied with
     the settlement entirely.

       "I didn't get what I wanted or what I should have, but I think in
     the process what we did has helped a lot of farmers out and a lot
     of people,"
     he told the newspaper.

       The utility maintained that the cows' milk production dropped
     because the farmer bought sick cows and did not know how to
     operate his feeding equipment properly. The company was
     "pleased with the results", an attorney said.

       Similar suits have been filed elsewhere by farmers contending
     that cows are more sensitive than humans to stray electricity,
     which causes them to eat less and get sick more often. -- Reuter.


Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 12:57:57 +0800 (SST)
>From: vadivu <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (UK) Call to review British gelatine exports
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>The Straits Times, APR 5 1997
MEDICAL NOTES
Call to review British gelatine exports
     BRUSSELS -- The European Commission has been asked to
     review its decision last June to allow exports of gelatine from
     Britain after scientists said that the material could not be
     guaranteed free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or
     "mad-cow disease".

       The panel's Multi-Disciplinary Scientific Committee concluded
     on Thursday that the technical treatment terms set out by the
     commission "do not adequately guarantee the inactivation of the
     BSE agent". -- AFP.




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