On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 15:27:01 GMT, "Pam - gardengal"
wrote:



Unless you are importing your bone meal from Europe, it is highly unlikely
this should pose any problems. One, there has never been a substantiated
case of BSE in the United States and second, the American method of
processing bone meal differs from the European in that it involves both heat
and solvent treatments, effectively destroying any potential pathogens.


There has been in Canada, though.

I have read quite a bit about BSE in the UK, and I do not
believe that the consensus of opinion among authorities on
the matter is that either heat or solvents kill the prions
thought to be responsible for it. [This got to be kind of
an awkward sentence...] In other words, it is believed that
neither heat nor solvents kill prions, AFAIK.

If the authorities thought heat kills prions, believe me,
the British government would have acted on it before now,
and I suspect that the same is true of solvents - at least
any solvents suitable for meat intended for human
consumption.

I don't think there is any way known to kill prions.


Once again, we can thank the media for blowing things up out of proportion.

I don't think so. The media has nothing to do with it.

I have never, ever seen any article on a connection between
bone meal in compost and BSE: it was my own conclusion that
there might be this possibility, based on the fact that
meat-on-the-bone has been implicated in BSE in the UK.

Therefore, I think it's a reasonable conclusion that one
might not want to spread bonemeal around one's garden or use
it in compost - a conclusion that any reasonable person
might make (or might not make).

If this remains a concern, fish meal, feather meal, alfalfa meal or fresh
manure will work as well. Apply any sparingly - you don't need much to get
things cooking if pile is constructed carefully and aerated properly.


Yes, that was my point, perhaps not made as well as it could
have been. There are plenty of alternative substances that
will work.

Pat
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