Protein Sources in a Pandemic: What's Left to Eat?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around potential protein sources during a pandemic, particularly in light of concerns about food safety and disease transmission from animals to humans. Participants explore various alternatives to traditional meat sources, considering both plant-based and animal-based options.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the viability of traditional meat sources due to potential health risks associated with pandemics and tainted meat.
  • Another participant suggests soybeans as a protein source.
  • Peanuts and vegetables are proposed as alternative protein sources by other participants.
  • A participant discusses the benefits of returning to more natural farming practices, contrasting them with mass production methods that may contribute to health risks.
  • Concerns are raised about the transmission of diseases from animals to humans, with a focus on the likelihood of viruses mutating to become more dangerous.
  • One participant mentions that traditional meat sources can still be used if appropriate safety guidelines are followed, suggesting a niche market for "guaranteed BSE free" cattle.
  • Various unconventional protein sources are listed, including rabbits, squirrels, and other game animals, emphasizing that proper preparation can mitigate disease risks.
  • There is a discussion about the conditions in which cattle are raised, highlighting a disconnect between public perception and reality regarding animal farming practices.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on protein sources, with no clear consensus on the best alternatives. Some support plant-based options, while others advocate for various animal sources, indicating a diversity of opinions on the topic.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference concerns about food safety and health risks associated with animal farming practices, but there are no settled conclusions regarding the best protein sources or the implications of disease transmission.

SOS2008
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Assuming people don't die in large numbers from consuming tainted meat, what source of protein will be left for humans to eat?

"WHO: Bird flu pandemic is imminent
Governments must act swiftly to prevent outbreak, officials say"
MSNBC News Services - Feb. 23, 2005
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6861065/

"Second Mad Cow Case Triggers Beefed-Up Testing"
June 24, 2005
Also covered by: CNN, MSNBC, WSJ Online (Subscription Req.)
http://www.medpagetoday.com/tbindex.cfm?tbid=1247

"Human toll in pig flu outbreak baffles scientists
Experts worried that germ may have mutated to create deadlier version"
Associated Press - Aug. 3, 2005
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8814458/

Not to mention mercury in seafood...
 
Biology news on Phys.org
Soy beans!
 
Peanuts? :confused:
 
Vegetables?
 
Very funny. :smile:

There was a program some time ago about returning to nature's ways versus the mass production scenario in which animals are crammed together in unsanitary conditions thus requiring antibiotics, etc., etc. They focused on a rancher that has gone back to moving cattle from one open pasture to another, and not at a lot more cost either. I mean, come on, one can only eat so much soy. :eek:

Really, a bigger concern is the possible outbreak of pandemic disease among humans. It seems the most horrific diseases are those that are spread from other species to humans -- mutating to deadlier versions.
 
Risk of Milkborne TSE/BSE transmission

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15222490

In the light of current scientific knowledge and irrespective of the geographical origin, milk and milk derivatives (e.g. lactoferrin, lactose) are unlikely to present any risk of TSE contamination provided that milk is sourced from healthy animals in the same conditions as milk collected from human consumption. So the risk of milk and milk derivatives in relation to BSE is negligible.

PMID: 15222490
 
SOS2008 said:
It seems the most horrific diseases are those that are spread from other species to humans -- mutating to deadlier versions.

That idea makes the most sense to me, because it seems unlikely that a virus can mutate from something benign already present in humans, to something very deadly and contagious. On the other hand it seems more likely that a virus that has already sucessfully figured out how to exploit another organism (especially a mammals if we're worried for humans) could very easily mutate slightly enough to exploit us or another organism. Viruses can be a deep lesson on how we understand life.
 
All the sources of meat that we've used - can still be used, you just look for appropriate safety guidelines. Maybe cattle "guaranteed BSE free" will be some sort of niche for cattle farmers, and maybe people will pay more for that.

Otherwise, there are tons of other animals that humans have used for protein over time -- Rabbits, squirrel, dog, buffalo (we regularly eat buffalo brats from whole foods), elk, bear, deer, snake, etc.

And even though any animal could carry disease of one sort or another, some of them won't be transmitted to humans if the food is properly prepared.
 
SOS2008 said:
They focused on a rancher that has gone back to moving cattle from one open pasture to another, and not at a lot more cost either.

The weird thing is I always thought this was how cattle was brought up, until I saw a documentary on TV about an outbreak of food poisoning and they showed how these beasts really live... in their own squalor and waste