Have you had your supplement made from spleens, brains, and testicles today?
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/29/national/nationalspecial2/29COWS.html?ei=5062&en=50039ca07f5915ab&ex=1075957200&partner=GOOGLE&pagewanted=print&position=
Mad Cow Disease Raises Safety Issues Beyond the Kitchen
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Published: January 29, 2004
[...]
On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of dead or
disabled cows in the products it regulates, as well as the use of brains,
spinal cord, eyes and other high-risk parts from cows older than 30 months.
[...]
For example, Health Genesis, a Florida company, sells 100-capsule bottles of
bovine Brain Concentrate, promising "tissues processed at low temperature to
insure rawness."
David, a salesman who would not give his last name or the name of the owner
of Health Genesis, said, "This whole thing about mad cow disease is so new"
and explained, "We assume it's safe because it's made available by the
people who make it."
After telling a reporter that "there are people selling fried brains in
Alabama," David insisted that the reporter call the manufacturer of the
supplements, Rocky Fork Formulas of Newark, Ohio.
Ken Michaelis, who said he was "just the phone answerer" for Rocky Fork's
president but who according to the company's Web site is one of the
founders, said Rocky Fork did not make its own brain concentrate and who did
was "privileged corporate information."
Mr. Michaelis said that he had not heard of Monday's F.D.A. ruling, but that
he believed the concentrate was safe because "you can't get glandulars from
countries with mad cow."
He could not name the country the brains came from, but said there were
"tons of manufacturers," some domestic. Nor did Mr. Michaelis know how old
the animals were or whether they were ever tested for prions.
Mr. Michaelis said there was no test for prions (there are several) and
insisted that "they've never been able to prove that mad cow is transmitted
to humans" (health authorities emphatically disagree).