| Correspondence with World Leaders
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In 2001 the European Union banned the feeding of processed animal protein (PAP) to farm animals due to the outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, a fatal illness that affected almost 500,000 animals and caused the loss of approximately 200 human lives in Europe. In the last twelve years cases of BSE have declined, so the European Commission proposed lifting the ban on the use of non-ruminant (pig and poultry) PAP in feed for pigs, poultry and farm-raised fish. In fact, new rules authorized early this year allow feed made of restricted parts of pigs and poultry to be fed to fish in June 2013 and to poultry and pigs in 2014.
The relaxation of the ban on PAP feed has caused a public uproar. According to a survey commissioned by the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency, a majority of those taking part in the research opposes this decision. Some groups consider the feed both unnatural and unethical, while others are concerned about human errors in implementing the regulation and the non-compliance of farmers. The US news magazine Time reported that French Ecology Minister, The Honorable Delphine Batho said the following in an interview with Jewish Community Radio (RCJ) of Paris: “‘Giving fish meat to eat’ was an aberration of the natural order driven by the ‘absurdity of financial logic.’”
Supreme Master Ching Hai expressed deep concern about the
harmful effects of re-introducing PAP into fish feed and recommended
adopting the vegan diet to benefit public health and the environment.
On March 12, Golden Year 10 (2013), She wrote letters to the President
of the European Commission, His Excellency José Manuel Barroso, and
to European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, The Honorable
Dr. Tonio Borg. The following is the text of the letters:
March 12, 2013 Dear [title]: With respect and appreciation for the European Union’s decision makers, I am writing out of deep concern regarding the harmful consequences of your recent consideration to reintroduce the use of pig and chicken products in fish feed. Raising animals for people to eat already causes extreme damage to the environment and human health, which will be multiplied with the reauthorized use of processed animal proteins (PAPs) in fish meal. The enactment of this measure was dependent on establishing DNA testing to ensure safety. However, the recent discovery of horsemeat in the human food supply raises concerns that safety precautions will fail and threats to public health will not be found in a timely manner. There is no guarantee that the pig and chicken meat are free from new diseases as horrific as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease), SARS, bird flu, swine flu, Ebola Reston virus, anthrax, infections of E. coli, Listeria, or Salmonella. Even with regulations put in place, there remains a risk that cannibalism within livestock species may occur and that dangerous diseases could go undetected. The eating of fish alone is already risk enough for human health. Some of the common dangers are: • Ciguatera poisoning, found in over 400 fish species, including farmed salmon • Tetrodotoxin (fugu, pufferfish) poisoning, which causes victims to become completely paralyzed while remaining fully conscious, and is often fatal • Scombroid poisoning, which can cause burning sensations, shock, blurred vision, etc. • Shellfish poisoning, in which toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing • Mercury poisoning, which causes memory loss, loss of motor control, birth defects, etc. • Allergic reactions that are often life-threatening and with chronic effects Furthermore, eating farmed fish causes DNA damage because farmed fish are one of the most notorious sources of chemical contaminants such as dioxins, which interfere with hormones, adversely affect the reproductive and immune systems, and cause cancer. The potential for DNA damage is increased when contaminants in animal byproducts become concentrated through their processing into PAPs. In addition, further DNA damage may occur due to carcinogens being produced through the heating of animal materials to create PAPs. In fact, even small amounts of animal protein are associated with increased risk of disease, infection, and death. May we remind you of the following ways in which animal products harm humans: • Significantly higher rates of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and obesity • Life-spans are shortened by six years for women and 10 years for men • Higher rates of food poisoning, infertility, arthritis, asthma, and autoimmune disorders • Increased likelihood of contracting food-borne illnesses, antibiotic-resistant “superbug” infections, and other dangerous bacteria strains The best solution is the global adoption of a vegan diet, better still, an organic vegan diet. Large, peer-reviewed studies including the China-Cornell-Oxford Project and the Adventist Health Studies find that a vegan diet is the best solution for living a long, active, and healthy life. As you may likewise be aware, consuming animal proteins is also the most resource-intensive way to feed a growing population. The livestock industry is one of the leading contributors to the most damaging environmental threats on the planet. The livestock industry is: • Responsible for over 51% of greenhouse gas emissions • The most water-intensive form of providing food, accounting for 27% of global freshwater consumption • Responsible for over 60% of biodiversity loss • A leading cause of deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, drought, and water contamination In 2001, the European Union was wise to take a highly precautionary approach in implementing the ban on all animal products in agriculture, thus protecting human lives from incurable illness. Considering all the dangers outlined above plus more, we implore you to please reverse the consideration to remove this ban and fully embrace the promotion of a vegan diet as the best prescription for a healthy population and environment. Thank you for your attention and concern. Respectfully,
P.S. We are sending you more information about these issues in our book, From Crisis to Peace: The Organic Vegan Way Is the Answer. For more information, please visit www.SupremeMasterTV.com/killers. |
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