I'll never look at pork chops the same way.
Michael
'Human meat' alert at pig farm
news.bbc.co.uk3500890.stmOpen ↗
Officials in western Canada have warned that meat from a pig
farm owned by an accused serial killer may have been
contaminated with human remains. British Columbia health
officials issued an alert urging anyone who may have meat
from Robert Pickton's farm near Vancouver to contact police.
Mr Pickton, 54, has been charged with 15 murders of women,
most of whom
Police say they have found the remains of more than 20 women
at the farm.
Police stress they have no proof that any remains were mixed
in with meat from the farm, but they admit they are now
investigating the possibility, the BBC's Ian Gunn in
Vancouver reports.
It is the first time officials have confirmed what has been
widely rumoured here, he adds.
Low risk
"Given the state of the farm, and what we know about the
investigation, we cannot rule out the possibility that cross-
contamination may have occurred," British Columbia Health
Officer Perry Kendall said in Victoria.
"Cross-contamination could mean that human remains did
get into or contaminate some of the pork meat," Mr
Kendall added.
"The risk to human health for those who consumed the
products is extremely remote, based on the fact most pork
products are typically well-cooked, which is known to
effectively destroy most infectious agents," local health
authorities said in a statement.
Officials also stressed that the farm's pig slaughtering
operation was not officially licensed and Mr Pickton did not
sell processed meat to retail outlets.
"There is no evidence we are dealing with anything other
than a very specific localised issue, with a specific number
of local people," said Catherine Galliford of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police.
Instead, police said the meat was sold directly from the
farm until it was shut down in 2002.
Strict court order
Police raided Mr Pickton's farm in February 2002 and said
they had found the remains of more than 20 women.
Mr Pickton was officially charged with 15 murders, but more
charges are widely expected, our correspondent says.
The victims were among more than 60 prostitutes who
have disappeared from the Vancouver area over the past
two decades.
The latest development provides a rare glimpse into the
grisly details of the case, which is covered by a strict
court order that prevents details from being made public
until Mr Pickton's trial begins later this year or in 2005,
our correspondent says.
If found guilty, Mr Pickton would be Canada's worst
serial killer.
--
Deathbed statement...
"Codeine . . . bourbon." ~~Tallulah Bankhead, actress, d.
December 12, 1968