Food, Sex and Salmonella. David Waltner-Toews
FOOD, SEX, AND SALMONELLA
DR. DAVID WALTNER-TOEWS
FOOD, SEX,
SALMONELLA
WHY OUR FOOD IS MAKING US SICK
GREYSTONE BOOKS
DOUGLAS & MCINTYRE PUBLISHING GROUP
Vancouver/Toronto/Berkeley
Copyright © 2008 by David Waltner-Toews
First Greystone Books edition 2008
08 09 10 11 12 5 4 3 2 1
The quote from Funtowicz and Ravetz on page 228 is from the website www.nusap.net and appears by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a license from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For a copyright license, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.
Greystone Books
A division of Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.
2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V5T 4S7
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Waltner-Toews, David, 1948 – Food, sex and salmonella : why our food is making us sick / David Waltner-Toews.
ISBN 978-1-55365-271-7
I. Foodborne diseases. 2. Foodborne diseases—Prevention. I. Title.
RA601.5.W34 2008 615.9’54 C2007-905228-2
Editing by Nancy Flight
Copy editing by Viola Funk
Cover design by Peter Cocking
Text design by Jessica Sullivan
Printed and bound in Canada by Friesens
Printed on acid-free paper that is forest friendly (100% post-consumer recycled paper) and has been processed chlorine free.
Distributed in the U.S. by Publishers Group West
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, the Province of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit, and the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities.
This book is dedicated to my partners in foodborne disease crime over the past couple of decades, especially Scott McEwen, Linda Harris, Andria Jones, Dominique Charron, and Sandy Lefebvre.
Nothing is so much to be shunned as sex relations.
All diseases of Christians are to be ascribed to demons.
Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.
ST. AUGUSTINE (from various writings)
CONTENTS
FRENCH KISSING ON THE FIRST DATE
2 THE VOICE OF THE UNSEEN GUEST
3 SALMONELLA READING IN TURKEY
Foodborne Infections, Focusing on Salmonella
4 COWS, CATS, AND PURE COUNTRY WATER
E. coli and Other Waterborne Bacterial Infections
5 THE YOUNG AND THE RETCHING
Foodborne Bacterial Intoxications (Except Botulism)
6 GRANDMA’S REVENGE
Botulism
7 IT MAY BE WORMS TO YOU
(But It’s My Bread and Butter)
Parasites
8 ZOMBIES FROM THE DEEP
Seafood Toxins
WHEN SHE MOVES IN
9 ARE WE SAFE YET?
Transforming Danger into Risk
10 ONE PERSON’S CURE, ANOTHER PERSON’S COFFIN
Antibacterials, Pesticides, and Preservatives
11 DANCING CAT MEETS CADMIUM CARROT
Heavy Metals
12 BREADWICHES, PEANUT LIVERS, AND CANCER-FREE AIRLINE SNACKS
Mycotoxins
13 THERE IS A CRACK IN EVERY THING
Radioactive Contaminants
SPICING UP THE LONG-TERM COMMITMENT
14 RISKS, RIGHTS, AND RIGHTEOUS EATING
Revisiting Risk
15 MONTEZUMA RULES THE WORLD
Deal with It
Further Reading
Acknowledgments
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT LOVE,
EATING, AND GETTING SICK.
AT