Doctors Group Makes Offer in Wake of Latest Meat Recall

WASHINGTON—As a response to the latest food-safety crisis—a 14.5 million-pound meat recall by Bar-S Foods Co. this week—the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is offering a free 16-page Vegetarian Starter Kit for worried carnivores. The firm's Clinton, Oklahoma plant has recalled processed meats and whole hams suspected of contamination with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

"Giant meat recalls and fear of mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases rightly have Americans concerned about food safety," says Jen Keller, R.D., PCRM staff dietitian. "But that's like being worried about a leaky faucet in the middle of a flood."

"The fat, cholesterol, and cancer-causing agents in meat (and that includes chicken and pork) are infinitely more devastating to public health than foodborne pathogens. Switching to a vegetarian diet would dramatically decrease the sky-high incidence of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure in this country," says Ms. Keller. "As tragic as foodborne illness can be, we hope this Bar-S recall is the last straw for many Americans. And anyone who feels like ‘enough is enough,' can call our office for a free Vegetarian Starter Kit."

PCRM's kit explains everything someone needs to go vegetarian and includes plenty of great recipes.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research,and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.