Diet & Health
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, April 1993:
Riley Detwiler, age 17 months,
on February 21 became the fourth toddler to
die from the outbreak of E. coli bacteria
poisoning that hit Jack-in-the-Box restau-
rants in Washington state and San Diego,
California, in December and January.
March 16, President Bill Clinton responded
to the deaths by proposing a complete over-
haul of the USDA meat and fish inspection
systems. Tainted meat killed more than 150
Americans and made more than 150,000
seriously ill during the past decade.
Tainted pork killed 63 people in
France last year, made 279 people serious-
ly ill, and caused seven abortions.
Americans ate more animal fat
per capita in 1992 than 1991, according
to the annual Harris Poll of eating habits.
American Medical Association president
Dr. Todd Davis called the poll “disturbing.”
The Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine has asked the
Federal Trade Commission to probe
allegedly “false nutritional advertising” by
McDonald’s restaurants. A joint promotion
aimed at children by McDonald’s and the
American Dietetic Association omits dis-
cussion of vegetables, and claims eating
meat “can make it easier to do things like
climb higher and ride your bike farther.” In
fact, eating meat inhibits athletic perfor-
mance for the next few hours.
McDonald’s will be allowed to
open restaurants in India, the Indian gov-
ernment says, if they don’t serve beef.
McDonald’s is expected to offer a menu
similar to that of Wimpy’s New Delhi fran-
chise––chicken, lamb, and lentilburgers.
The Center for Science in the
Public Interest called March 17 for cutting
the animal fat content of school lunches.
The 9th annual Great American
Meatout climaxed March 19 with a dem-
nonstration on Stockyard Row in Chicago,
led by the Farm Animal Reform Movement
and Animal Rights Mobilization.
