Now that spring is rapidly approaching you may wish to check out this
interesting discussion about raised gardens: http://greatgardens.org/article1.html

Jay wrote:

Now that spring is rapidly approaching you may wish to check out this
interesting discussion about raised gardens:
http://greatgardens.org/article1.html

Unfortunately I able unable to read this because of it dark
green background color.

Dick

Here you go....

From the website:

A Perspective on Raised Gardens


Raised garden beds serve many purposes, the first of which is to install a
viable garden in an area that would otherwise be unsuitable. Lack of space
might be the primary reason for erecting a raised garden while poor soil
conditions may be another. Raised garden beds often serve as activity
centers for church groups, senior citizen centers, nursing homes and schools
for the handicapped.

Businesses such as landscapers offer raised garden installations as an added
service. Real estate agents might suggest to prospective home sellers that
they add a fully blooming raised flower garden to an otherwise bleak
setting, to enhance the curb appeal of their home.

A rapidly growing concept

Raised gardens are by no means a new idea but the concept is rapidly gaining
adherents. Research centers and agricultural experimental stations are
turning more and more to raised garden beds as a way to achieve their goals.
Public schools often have a garden club where students are able to express
themselves creatively by developing garden spots, then experiencing the
thrill of seeing the first little sprouts
rise through the surface of the soil; then to finally display their efforts
as a harvest of beautiful vegetables.


How does one go about developing a raised garden bed? Quite frankly there
are more methods than is possible to list. Gaining in popularity are gardens
erected using composite lumber or cedar planks. Both of these materials are
suitable because they reject moisture and for their resistance to rotting.
Either of these materials will give long lasting gardens. Those individuals
who are particularly energetic may pursue a construction technique involving
the use of faux stone. These interlocking concrete blocks make very
attractive raised gardens but are considered to be quite permanent.

Gardens constructed of planks on the other hand, offer the option of being
able to dismantle the garden should it become necessary. Once the planks are
removed, the soil can then be raked onto the surrounding area and smoothed
and possibly be replanted as lawn.

Raised gardens have evolved from tediously laid out and laborious projects,
to a simple hinged style that erects by unfolding into a rectangle, the
style featured in this website. The action of folding the garden frame makes
the assembly easy to ship and erection is achieved by merely spreading the
frame open with ones feet. Since all sections of the
frame are joined together assembly is eliminated. Truly, what could be
simpler?

Site selection

Selecting a site is of the utmost importance as you will want your garden to
benefit from the maximum amount of sunlight. With this in mind, aligning the
garden east to west keeping in mind the shading effects of local trees will
allow the sun to shine on the garden for the longest period possible each
day. Ideally you would select a level site, making sure that it has good
drainage. You should avoid locating the garden in a spot that tends to
puddle during downpours. If more than one garden is to be located in the
same area, be sure to leave space for access for wheel chairs or scooters
when such equipment is to be used. If the paths between the garden are to be
grass, access for a mower must be made.

One of the first considerations once the site for the garden has been
selected is to rid the area of potential weeds and grass. This may be
accomplished by placing several layers of newspapers over the affected space
after spraying the area with vinegar.

The height of the sides of the garden should be governed by the type of
plantings that will be taking place as well as accessibility. If wheelchair
access is desired then the taller the better. If the gardener prefers to
limit his bending, then height is also a consideration. If the soil beneath
the garden is suitable then a single level garden might be acceptable as
less soil mixture would be required in the raised portion of the garden.

If the soil is packed clay as it is in many regions, or very rocky, then a
two level garden might be preferred. It all depends on the circumstances.
Each level in most cases is approximately six inches tall so a two level
garden would be nearly eleven inches tall while a custom made triple decker
would be something like seventeen inches tall.

Next comes the question as to what you would like to plant in the garden. If
flowers are your joy, then a shallow garden would be appropriate while the
vegetable garden may
require deeper soil for root types of plants. So according to this, a single
level garden
would do well for the flower gardener and the double level would do for the
vegetable
gardener.

The amount of soil you will be needing depends on the depth of your garden.
Our rule
of thumb for the popular 4 ft x 8ft x 12 inch high garden is that it
requires one cubic
yard of soil. That is approximately equivalent to the capacity of a standard
full size
pickup truck. The medium sized 6 ft x 4 ft x 12 inch kitchen garden takes
about 3/4 of
a yard of soil while the 4 ft x 4 ft x 12 inch herb garden takes half a
yard. Since garden
centers sell soil in 40 pound bags containing one cubic foot of material you
can figure
that the large 4 x 8 foot double decker garden will require about 27 bags of
soil. The
cost for the full cubic yard will be approximately $35.00. So you see, the
cost for soil
needed for your garden is quite reasonable.

Vegetable variations

Be sure to plant variations of vegetables you enjoy the most. You will
immediately be
impressed by the difference in the taste of the vegetables you grow yourself
over what
you experience with store bought food. Too bad you can't grow your own
veggies year
round.

Arranging the types of vegetables, or flowers, to best take advantage of the
sun
should be considered. Taller plants would naturally be toward the back as
would trellised
vines. Selections similar to tomatoes might grace the center rows while
things that
grow close to the ground like lettuce and cabbage would be planted in front.
This
maximizes the sun for each species. Another consideration would be to
stagger the
planting of each kind of vegetable to different times so that they would
bear fruit
throughout the season. Don't forget that you may have several planting
times when
you consider that some plants thrive into the fall.

Watering is a very important consideration, so be sure to locate your garden
near a
source for water. For instance, a tomato plant can absorb at least a quart
of water each
day. One plan is to sink a row of black potted plant containers into the
garden into
which you will plant your tomatoes so that you are able to water directly
into the roots
of the tomato plants while avoiding saturating the rest of the garden.

The idea behind the 4 foot wide gardens is to keep it narrow enough to avoid
having to
step in it. This prevents the soil from being excessively compacted and
allows the roots
to receive a greater amount of oxygen. All weeding is easily carried out
from the
pathway along side the garden.

Organic Gardening

Many people are moving to some form of organic gardening because they feel
that
much of the chemical fertilizer used to raise vegetables commercially enters
the food
chain and is harmful to our bodies. Gaining in popularity is the use of
manure that has
been refined and treated for the organic gardener thus avoiding the use of
chemicals all
together. Of course, the establishment of a compost bin is a wonderful way
to nourish
your garden organically. Grass clippings, leaves, even garbage from the
kitchen can be
added to the compost bin where nature will do her work.

One of the fun things you might experiment with in your raised garden is to
develop
your own source for seeds. As an example, you may buy some corn that is very
much
to your liking. You normally cut off the end of the ear before cooking and
discard the
tip. Instead of throwing away that section of the ear, set it aside and
allow it to
completely dry. The kernels now become seeds you can plant in your garden.
Same
thing can be done with squash and melons.

When planting tomatoes, be sure to plant several varieties so that you can
enjoy full
sized tomatoes as well as smaller salad varieties. Do the same with lettuce.
Select a
potpourri of species for a wonderful variety.

We have skimmed the subject of raised gardening here but will be delving
into many of
the subjects touched upon in future articles, so be sure to bookmark this
location so
you can benefit from the additional material as it is published.

Thanks for visiting,
J. Edwin Williams
www.greatgardens.org
"Dick Adams" wrote in message
...
Jay wrote:

Now that spring is rapidly approaching you may wish to check out this
interesting discussion about raised gardens:
http://greatgardens.org/article1.html

Unfortunately I able unable to read this because of it dark
green background color.

Dick

On Mar 2, 7:08 pm, (Dick Adams) wrote:
Jay wrote:
Now that spring is rapidly approaching you may wish to check out this
interesting discussion about raised gardens:
http://greatgardens.org/article1.html

Unfortunately I able unable to read this because of it dark
green background color.

Dick

There are a series of articles at www.raised-garden-bed.com you may
wish to check out.
Jay

On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:


There are a series of articles

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.


Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

On Mar 4, 4:13 pm, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

There are a series of articles

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

Is this your hobby or are you sick????

On 5 Mar 2007 19:04:31 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

On Mar 4, 4:13 pm, Penelope Periwinkle wrote:
On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

There are a series of articles

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

Is this your hobby or are you sick????

Razing nose-picking philistines who spam newsgroups with their
substandard and overpriced products whilst hiding behind fake email
addresses?

That sir, is my honor.

Now run along back to your crummy little store, there's a good boy,
before I get cranky and chastise you harshly.


Penelope


--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

On Mar 5, 10:28 pm, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
On 5 Mar 2007 19:04:31 -0800, "Jay" wrote:



On Mar 4, 4:13 pm, Penelope Periwinkle wrote:
On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

There are a series of articles

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

Is this your hobby or are you sick????

Razing nose-picking philistines who spam newsgroups with their
substandard and overpriced products whilst hiding behind fake email
addresses?

That sir, is my honor.

Now run along back to your crummy little store, there's a good boy,
before I get cranky and chastise you harshly.

Penelope

--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

Human genes in your food?
By SEAN POULTER - More by this author » Last updated at 22:25pm on 5th
March 2007

Comments Comments
Most popular stories

* News »
* Entire site »

* 'Overvalued' homes market heading for a slump warns IMF
* The can of lemonade that cost £4m and a broken life
* The 25 stone teenager: Natalie Cox is a junk food junkie,
consuming 7,500 calories a day
* Downing Street 'smoking gun' e-mail was over Lord Cashpoint
* The equal pay deal that will add £300 to council tax bills

More detailed results »

* News »
* Entire site »

* Liz's wedding - My front row seat
* Baldrick's cunning plan
* 'Overvalued' homes market heading for a slump warns IMF
* The can of lemonade that cost £4m and a broken life
* The 25 stone teenager: Natalie Cox is a junk food junkie,
consuming 7,500 calories a day

More detailed results »
Email newsletter
Get the Mail Online email delivered to your inbox
Enjoy our blogs

* Benedict Brogan's blog
* Katie Nicholl's showbiz diary
* Baz Bamigboye's blog
* Breast cancer blog
* Fashion blog
* Peter Hitchens
* Money blog

The first GM food crop containing human genes is set to be approved
for commercial production.

The laboratory-created rice produces some of the human proteins found
in breast milk and saliva.

Its U.S. developers say they could be used to treat children with
diarrhoea, a major killer in the Third World.

The rice is a major step in so-called Frankenstein Foods, the first
mingling of human-origin genes and those from plants. But the U.S.
Department of Agriculture has already signalled it plans to allow
commercial cultivation.

The rice's producers, California-based Ventria Bioscience, have been
given preliminary approval to grow it on more than 3,000 acres in
Kansas. The company plans to harvest the proteins and use them in
drinks, desserts, yoghurts and muesli bars.

The news provoked horror among GM critics and consumer groups on both
sides of the Atlantic.

GeneWatch UK, which monitors new GM foods, described it as "very
disturbing". Researcher Becky Price warned: "There are huge, huge
health risks and people should rightly be concerned about this."

Friends of the Earth campaigner Clare Oxborrow said: "Using food crops
and fields as glorified drug factories is a very worrying development.

"If these pharmaceutical crops end up on consumers' plates, the
consequences for our health could be devastating.

"The biotech industry has already failed to prevent experimental GM
rice contaminating the food chain.

"The Government must urge the U.S. to ban the production of drugs in
food crops. It must also introduce tough measures to prevent illegal
GM crops contaminating our food and ensure that biotech companies are
liable for any damage their products cause."

In the U.S., the Union of Concerned Scientists, a policy advocacy
group, warned: "It is unwise to produce drugs in plants outdoors.

"There would be little control over the doses people might get exposed
to, and some might be allergic to the proteins."

The American Consumers Union and the Washingtonbased Centre for Food
Safety also oppose Ventria's plans.

As well as the contamination fears there are serious ethical concerns
about such a fundamental interference with the building blocks of
life.

Yet there is no legal means for Britain and Europe to ban such
products on ethical grounds.

Imports would have to be accepted once they had gone through a
scientific safety assessment.

The development is what may people feared when, ten years ago, food
scientists showed what was possible by inserting copies of fish genes
from the flounder into tomatoes, to help them withstand frost.

Ventria has produced three varieties of the rice, each with a
different human-origin gene that makes the plants produce one of three
human proteins.

Two - lactoferrin and lysozyme - are bacteria-fighting compounds found
in breast milk and saliva. The genes, cultivated and copied in a
laboratory to produce a synthetic version, are carried into embryonic
rice plants inside bacteria.

Until now, plants with human-origin genes have been restricted to
small test plots.

Ventria originally planned to grow the rice in southern Missouri but
the brewer Anheuser-Busch, a huge buyer of rice, threatened to boycott
the state amid concern over contamination and consumer reaction.

Now the USDA, saying the rice poses "virtually no risk". has given
preliminary approval for it to be grown in Kansas, which has no
commercial rice farms.

Ventria will also use dedicated equipment, storage and processing
facilities supposed to prevent seeds from mixing with other crops.

The company says food products using the rice proteins could help save
many of the two million children a year who die from diarrhoea and the
resulting dehydration and complications. A recent study in Peru,
sponsored by Ventria, showed that children with severe diarrhoea
recovered a day and a half faster if the salty fluids they were
prescribed included the proteins.

The rice could also be a huge money-spinner in the Western world, with
parents being told it will help their children get over unpleasant
stomach bugs more quickly.

Ventria chief executive Scott Deeter said last night: "We have a
product here that can help children get better faster."

He said any concerns about safety and contamination were "based on
perception, not reality" given all the precautions the company was
taking.

Mr Deeter said production in plants was far cheaper than other
methods, which should help make the therapy affordable in the
developing world.

He said: "Plants are phenomenal factories. Our raw materials are the
sun, soil and water."

On Mar 4, 4:13 pm, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

There are a series of articles

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"


FDA Rules Override Warnings About Drug
Cattle Antibiotic Moves Forward Despite Fears of Human Risk

By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 4, 2007; A01

The government is on track to approve a new antibiotic to treat a
pneumonia-like disease in cattle, despite warnings from health groups
and a majority of the agency's own expert advisers that the decision
will be dangerous for people.

The drug, called cefquinome, belongs to a class of highly potent
antibiotics that are among medicine's last defenses against several
serious human infections. No drug from that class has been approved in
the United States for use in animals.

The American Medical Association and about a dozen other health groups
warned the Food and Drug Administration that giving cefquinome to
animals would probably speed the emergence of microbes resistant to
that important class of antibiotics, as has happened with other drugs.
Those super-microbes could then spread to people.

Echoing those concerns, the FDA's advisory board last fall voted to
reject the request by InterVet Inc. of Millsboro, Del., to market the
drug for cattle.

Yet by all indications, the FDA will approve cefquinome this spring.
That outcome is all but required, officials said, by a recently
implemented "guidance document" that codifies how to weigh the threats
to human health posed by proposed new animal drugs.

The wording of "Guidance for Industry #152" was crafted within the FDA
after a long struggle. In the end, the agency adopted language that,
for drugs like cefquinome, is more deferential to pharmaceutical
companies than is recommended by the World Health Organization.

Cefquinome's seemingly inexorable march to market shows how a few
words in an obscure regulatory document can sway the government's
approach to protecting public health.

Industry representatives say they trust Guidance #152's calculation
that cefquinome should be approved. "There is reasonable certainty of
no harm to public health," Carl Johnson, InterVet's director of
product development, told the FDA last fall.

Others say Guidance #152 makes it too difficult for the FDA to say no
to some drugs.

"The industry says that 'until you show us a direct link to human
mortality from the use of these drugs in animals, we don't think you
should preclude their use,' " said Edward Belongia, an epidemiologist
at the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation in Wisconsin. "But do we
really want to drive more resistance genes into the human population?
It's easy to open the barn door, but it's hard to close the door once
it's open."

The FDA knows how hard it can be to close that door. In the mid-1990s,
overriding the objections of public health experts from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the drug agency approved the
marketing of two drugs, Baytril and SaraFlox, for use in poultry. Both
are fluoroquinolones, a class of drugs important for their ability to
fight the bioterror bacterium that causes anthrax and a food-borne
bacterium called campylobacter, which causes a serious diarrheal
disease in people.

Before long, doctors began finding fluoroquinolone-resistant strains
of campylobacter in patients hospitalized with severe diarrhea. When
studies showed a link to poultry, the FDA sought a ban. But while
Abbott Laboratories, which made SaraFlox, pulled its product,
Baytril's manufacturer, Bayer Corp., pushed back.

"They fought this tooth and nail. It took years," said Kirk Smith, an
epidemiologist at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Finally, late in 2005, Bayer gave up, but not before fluoroquinolone
resistance had spread even further.
A Question of Resistance

Microbes are constantly mutating, and some of those mutations happen
to confer immunity to one drug or another. Exacerbating the problem,
bacteria constantly exchange bits of DNA with each other, spreading
that resistance.

Given those realities, experts agree that all antibiotics should be
used judiciously.

"If a drug is used less, then less resistance emerges," said Patricia
Griffin, chief of intestinal disease epidemiology for the CDC.

Prudence is especially important for medicines of last resort, which
is why the cefquinome application stirred such a storm.

Cefquinome is a fourth-generation cephalosporin, the most recent of
several steadily improving versions of the cephalosporin family of
antibiotics. Only one medicine from that family has been approved in
the United States -- a powerful human drug called cefepime (brand name
Maxipime), which is the only effective treatment for serious
infections in cancer patients and a reliable lifesaver against several
other nearly invincible infections.

InterVet developed cefquinome to treat bovine respiratory disease, the
most common disease in cattle. Recognizing the potential public health
implications of using a close cousin of cefepime in animals, the FDA's
Center for Veterinary Medicine, which oversees animal drug approvals,
convened its expert advisers in September.

One of the first things the group learned was that more than a dozen
medicines are already on the market for the respiratory syndrome, and
all are still effective.

"If we have no susceptibility problem, why do we need one more new
drug?" asked James E. Leggett Jr., a professor of medicine at Oregon
Health & Science University, whom the FDA brought in as a consultant
on the cefquinome question.

The panel also learned that the disease would be a relatively minor
issue but for the stressful conditions under which U.S. cattle are
raised, including high-density living spaces and routine shipment on
crowded trains for hundreds or thousands of miles. Those "production
dynamics" suppress the animals' immune systems, explained feedlot
consultant Kelly Lechtenberg of Oakland, Neb., and virtually guarantee
that bovine respiratory disease will be a major problem.

Yet Stephen Sundlof, head of the FDA's Veterinary Medicine Center,
told the panel members that under agency rules they should ignore
those issues and consider only the language in Guidance #152.
Flaws Seen in Rules

Guidance #152 is essentially a checklist of points to consider when
weighing the potential human impact of a new animal drug.

After the Baytril debacle, the public health community embraced the
idea of a guidance document. A formalized risk-assessment process
promised to minimize the chances of making a bad regulatory call.

But a struggle ensued when the FDA hosted meetings to spell out the
criteria to be used for measuring risk, often with veterinarians and
veterinary drug companies on one side and doctors and public health
experts on the other.

When differences could not be resolved after repeated drafts and
months of work, the agency sidestepped some tough issues and adopted
language that both sides agree can block approval of the most
worrisome drugs -- those such as Baytril that are put in animal feed
or water, and so are easily overused. But public health experts say
the wording tilts the playing field toward industry for other kinds of
drugs. They want to see it revised.

Most glaring, they say, is that the guidance makes it almost
impossible to say no to a new animal drug unless it is likely to
threaten the effectiveness of an antibiotic that is a critical player
against food-borne illnesses. By contrast, the World Health
Organization recommends saying no if approval would spur resistance to
any antibiotic that is important for fighting "serious human disease"
-- not just food-borne illnesses.

Cefquinome's primary threat is that it may undermine the usefulness of
the closely related human drug, cefepime. But as it turns out, the FDA
does not consider cefepime a front-line drug against food-borne
infections. So although it is a highly important drug in human
medicine generally -- and although the Infectious Diseases Society of
America even recommends it against some food-borne bacteria -- that
risk does not count under the terms of Guidance #152.

A related problem is that the guidance's definition of "food-borne" is
conservative, said Margaret Mellon of the Union of Concerned
Scientists, a science policy advocacy group. For example, most urinary
tract infections are caused by intestinal bacteria acquired from food,
and cefepime is prescribed for those infections. If the FDA counted
those infections as food-borne, then the guidance's formula would call
for rejecting cefquinome for cattle.

"But FDA didn't do that," Mellon said. "That restricted the analysis
right there."

Moreover, the guidance does not take into account that when microbes
become resistant to fourth-generation cephalosporins, they often gain
resistance to third-generation versions, too.

Third-generation cephalosporins are among the only effective therapies
for serious gastrointestinal diseases in children and are the sole
therapies for many cases of meningitis. That means the emergence of
resistance to fourth-generation cephalosporins "could have a much more
far-reaching effect" than is considered under the terms of Guidance
#152, John H. Powers, a medical officer at the FDA's Center for Drug
Evaluation and Research, told the agency's panel of experts.
How Great a Risk?

Richard Carnevale, vice president for scientific and regulatory
affairs at the Animal Health Institute, which represents veterinary
drugmakers, said critics should not presume that a dozen drugs
effective against bovine respiratory syndrome are enough.

"It's not a question of whether there is a need or not," Carnevale
said. "The answer is, there's always a need."

The institute contends that the risk to human health posed by animal
antibiotics has been overblown.

Officials at InterVet declined several requests to be interviewed. In
a statement, the company said it "fully supports the prudent use of
antibiotics in animals."

The statement also said that in Europe, fourth-generation
cephalosporins similar to cefquinome have been used in animals for the
past decade "without compromising the interests of public health."

Yet recent European data indicate that resistance against this class
of antibiotics is on the rise.

An analysis of E. coli bacteria in pigs and other animals in Spain,
published in December, found high levels of the resistance that
renders fourth-generation cephalosporins useless. A January report
from Britain documented similar resistance patterns emerging at 10
farms.

Microbes resistant to fourth-generation cephalosporins have also begun
to pop up in European patients. Such resistance is virtually unknown
in the United States, where fourth-generation cefepime has been used
in patients since 1997. That suggests that the resistance emerging in
Europe is a result of veterinary use, said Steve Roach of the Food
Animal Concerns Trust, a Chicago public interest group.

Roach says he is concerned that history is about to repeat itself.
U.S. cattle were free of bacteria resistant to third-generation
cephalosporins in 1997, but by 2003 one of every five samples was
resistant. "This is exactly what should be avoided with cefquinome,"
he said.
Merely Suggestions

At the FDA advisory meeting in September, the agency's experts defied
Guidance #152 and voted 6 to 4 against approval of cefquinome. But
that day, and in follow-up interviews, Sundlof, the agency's
veterinary chief, made it plain that the vote was "not binding."

"I think we all agreed . . . that Guidance for Industry #152 would be
the criteria against which we would base our decisions on safety,"
Sundlof said at the meeting.

Concerned that the FDA is poised to approve cefquinome, Congress's
only microbiologist recently wrote to the agency.

"Given the recent outbreaks of E. coli and other food borne illnesses
across the nation, it is hardly the time to ignore the advice of
scientists, and potentially impair our ability to treat deadly
infections," wrote Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-N.Y.), who chairs the
House Rules Committee.

Yet, being realists, the FDA advisers in September said more than just
no. They told the FDA that if it approves cefquinome, then it should
at least impose limits to minimize the potential consequences. One
suggestion was to explicitly preclude "off label" use of the drug --
that is, to tell veterinarians that it can be used only for bovine
respiratory disease.

But Sundlof said that, under FDA rules, those decisions must be left
up to veterinarians unless there is clear evidence that wider use is
causing harm.

"We have to take a fairly legal interpretation," Sundlof said in an
interview. "If we have no evidence of a problem, or sparse evidence,
we would not be able to make the prohibition prior to approval."

However, raising a point that opponents do not find very reassuring,
he noted: "As soon as we have the first glimpse of evidence that off-
label use of a drug is causing resistance, we have the authority to
prohibit off-label use."

The advisers also urged that as a condition of approval, the FDA
should demand that InterVet provide annual reports on how much
cefquinome was used and in which animals -- data that would help
scientists detect links between the drug's use and patterns of
resistance that emerge in people.

"Without reliable, meaningful data on the quantity of use, the purpose
of use, the type, number and location of animals treated, it will be
exceedingly difficult to interpret fluctuations in rates of
resistance," said Susan Prolman of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

But Sundlof offered little hope for that outcome.

"That is information that would be useful to have," he said. But the
agency does not have the authority to demand it.

On Mar 5, 10:28 pm, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
On 5 Mar 2007 19:04:31 -0800, "Jay" wrote:



On Mar 4, 4:13 pm, Penelope Periwinkle wrote:
On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

There are a series of articles

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

Is this your hobby or are you sick????

Razing nose-picking philistines who spam newsgroups with their
substandard and overpriced products whilst hiding behind fake email
addresses?

That sir, is my honor.

Now run along back to your crummy little store, there's a good boy,
before I get cranky and chastise you harshly.

Penelope

--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

On Mar 4, 4:13 pm, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

There are a series of articles

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"
Razing nose-picking philistines who spam newsgroups with their
substandard and overpriced products whilst hiding behind fake email
addresses?

That sir, is my honor.

Now run along back to your crummy little store, there's a good boy,
before I get cranky and chastise you harshly.

Penelope

--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"
Razing nose-picking philistines who spam newsgroups with their
substandard and overpriced products whilst hiding behind fake email
addresses?

That sir, is my honor.

Now run along back to your crummy little store, there's a good boy,
before I get cranky and chastise you harshly.

Penelope

--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"
Razing nose-picking philistines who spam newsgroups with their
substandard and overpriced products whilst hiding behind fake email
addresses?

That sir, is my honor.

Now run along back to your crummy little store, there's a good boy,
before I get cranky and chastise you harshly.

Penelope

--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"
Razing nose-picking philistines who spam newsgroups with their
substandard and overpriced products whilst hiding behind fake email
addresses?

That sir, is my honor.

Now run along back to your crummy little store, there's a good boy,
before I get cranky and chastise you harshly.

Penelope

--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

On 5 Mar 2007 20:13:14 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

On Mar 4, 4:13 pm, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:


stuff

Oh dear, good thing I didn't chastise him as it appears my sarcasm has
completely unhinged him.


Penelope

--
"Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart."
"ElissaAnn"

On Mar 6, 10:33 am, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
On 5 Mar 2007 20:13:14 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

On Mar 4, 4:13 pm, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

stuff

Oh dear, good thing I didn't chastise him as it appears my sarcasm has
completely unhinged him.

Penelope

--
"Maybe you'd like to ask the Wizard for a heart."
"ElissaAnn"

Best you back off as you are flirting with slander which I take VERY
seriously.

On Tue, 06 Mar 2007 23:59:32 GMT, Rick wrote:

On 6 Mar 2007 13:34:23 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

On Mar 6, 10:33 am, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
Oh dear, good thing I didn't chastise him as it appears my sarcasm has
completely unhinged him.

Penelope

Best you back off as you are flirting with slander which I take VERY
seriously.

OOOOOHHHHH!

Now you plan to censure what people say on usenet. Yeah, that always works!
Snort...

Don't forget that frightening THREAT. Everybody is a tough guy on the
Internet...

Luke

In article .com,
"Jay" wrote:

On Mar 5, 10:28 pm, Penelope Periwinkle
wrote:
On 5 Mar 2007 19:04:31 -0800, "Jay" wrote:



On Mar 4, 4:13 pm, Penelope Periwinkle wrote:
On 4 Mar 2007 12:39:02 -0800, "Jay" wrote:

There are a series of articles

You're a slimey bottom feeder of a spammer, the kind of crud the rest
of us scrape off our shoes whilst glaring at the neighbor's dog.

You have been reported to your ISP.

Penelope
--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

Is this your hobby or are you sick????

Razing nose-picking philistines who spam newsgroups with their
substandard and overpriced products whilst hiding behind fake email
addresses?

That sir, is my honor.

Now run along back to your crummy little store, there's a good boy,
before I get cranky and chastise you harshly.

Penelope

--
You have proven yourself to be the most malicious,
classless person that I've encountered in years.
- "pointed"

Human genes in your food?
By SEAN POULTER - More by this author » Last updated at 22:25pm on 5th
March 2007

Comments Comments
Most popular stories

* News »
* Entire site »

* 'Overvalued' homes market heading for a slump warns IMF
* The can of lemonade that cost £4m and a broken life
* The 25 stone teenager: Natalie Cox is a junk food junkie,
consuming 7,500 calories a day
* Downing Street 'smoking gun' e-mail was over Lord Cashpoint
* The equal pay deal that will add £300 to council tax bills

More detailed results »

* News »
* Entire site »

* Liz's wedding - My front row seat
* Baldrick's cunning plan
* 'Overvalued' homes market heading for a slump warns IMF
* The can of lemonade that cost £4m and a broken life
* The 25 stone teenager: Natalie Cox is a junk food junkie,
consuming 7,500 calories a day

More detailed results »
Email newsletter
Get the Mail Online email delivered to your inbox
Enjoy our blogs

* Benedict Brogan's blog
* Katie Nicholl's showbiz diary
* Baz Bamigboye's blog
* Breast cancer blog
* Fashion blog
* Peter Hitchens
* Money blog

The first GM food crop containing human genes is set to be approved
for commercial production.

The laboratory-created rice produces some of the human proteins found
in breast milk and saliva.

Its U.S. developers say they could be used to treat children with
diarrhoea, a major killer in the Third World.

The rice is a major step in so-called Frankenstein Foods, the first
mingling of human-origin genes and those from plants. But the U.S.
Department of Agriculture has already signalled it plans to allow
commercial cultivation.

The rice's producers, California-based Ventria Bioscience, have been
given preliminary approval to grow it on more than 3,000 acres in
Kansas. The company plans to harvest the proteins and use them in
drinks, desserts, yoghurts and muesli bars.

The news provoked horror among GM critics and consumer groups on both
sides of the Atlantic.

GeneWatch UK, which monitors new GM foods, described it as "very
disturbing". Researcher Becky Price warned: "There are huge, huge
health risks and people should rightly be concerned about this."

Friends of the Earth campaigner Clare Oxborrow said: "Using food crops
and fields as glorified drug factories is a very worrying development.

"If these pharmaceutical crops end up on consumers' plates, the
consequences for our health could be devastating.

"The biotech industry has already failed to prevent experimental GM
rice contaminating the food chain.

"The Government must urge the U.S. to ban the production of drugs in
food crops. It must also introduce tough measures to prevent illegal
GM crops contaminating our food and ensure that biotech companies are
liable for any damage their products cause."

In the U.S., the Union of Concerned Scientists, a policy advocacy
group, warned: "It is unwise to produce drugs in plants outdoors.

"There would be little control over the doses people might get exposed
to, and some might be allergic to the proteins."

The American Consumers Union and the Washingtonbased Centre for Food
Safety also oppose Ventria's plans.

As well as the contamination fears there are serious ethical concerns
about such a fundamental interference with the building blocks of
life.

Yet there is no legal means for Britain and Europe to ban such
products on ethical grounds.

Imports would have to be accepted once they had gone through a
scientific safety assessment.

The development is what may people feared when, ten years ago, food
scientists showed what was possible by inserting copies of fish genes
from the flounder into tomatoes, to help them withstand frost.

Ventria has produced three varieties of the rice, each with a
different human-origin gene that makes the plants produce one of three
human proteins.

Two - lactoferrin and lysozyme - are bacteria-fighting compounds found
in breast milk and saliva. The genes, cultivated and copied in a
laboratory to produce a synthetic version, are carried into embryonic
rice plants inside bacteria.

Until now, plants with human-origin genes have been restricted to
small test plots.

Ventria originally planned to grow the rice in southern Missouri but
the brewer Anheuser-Busch, a huge buyer of rice, threatened to boycott
the state amid concern over contamination and consumer reaction.

Now the USDA, saying the rice poses "virtually no risk". has given
preliminary approval for it to be grown in Kansas, which has no
commercial rice farms.

Ventria will also use dedicated equipment, storage and processing
facilities supposed to prevent seeds from mixing with other crops.

The company says food products using the rice proteins could help save
many of the two million children a year who die from diarrhoea and the
resulting dehydration and complications. A recent study in Peru,
sponsored by Ventria, showed that children with severe diarrhoea
recovered a day and a half faster if the salty fluids they were
prescribed included the proteins.

The rice could also be a huge money-spinner in the Western world, with
parents being told it will help their children get over unpleasant
stomach bugs more quickly.

Ventria chief executive Scott Deeter said last night: "We have a
product here that can help children get better faster."

He said any concerns about safety and contamination were "based on
perception, not reality" given all the precautions the company was
taking.

Mr Deeter said production in plants was far cheaper than other
methods, which should help make the therapy affordable in the
developing world.

He said: "Plants are phenomenal factories. Our raw materials are the
sun, soil and water."

Is it just me? These last posting from Jay seem to be losing the focus
of rec.gardens.edible. I mean there are lots of crummy things going on
in the kleptocracy that we live in but it seems to me that we need to
take the hinayana approach here in rec.gardens.edible or the news group
will become everything about everything. So let's all rally around the
sunflowers and scratch at the dirt, and when your feeling feisty, we can
meet at rec.gov.throwthe*******sout or go google my hero, Jose Bové.

Hum, I see I have a penny change my two cents.

- Bill
Coloribus gustibus non disputatum (more or less:-)