I think the BSE problem was only the worst case of a much more
widespread problem in animal nutrition. The chances that you will
eventually cause the spread of a disease by feeding bits of animals
back to animals is surely very high - especially when the animals (such
as cattle) have a digestive system which is not designed to break down
naimal proteins. Cows left to themselves live on grass. Once the poor
animals have been contaminated with the prions responsible for BSE the
cycle carries on.

However, BSE is not the only effect of feeding animals with "unnatural"
materials. The very common use of fish-meal in animal feedstuffs causes
a major problem for people who are highly allergic to fish. It seems
logical that it should be that way but nobody in the animal feed or
fishing industries cares to think the problem through.

Although fish allergy is often highly species specific, I am sure that
no studies have been done on which particular fish still cause problems
after their proteins have been partly digested by a cow (or a sheep,
chicken, pig etc.) All meat and egg containing products derived from
the flesh of animals fed in this way can be lethal for a person with
the right level of allergic response.

There is a lot to be said for properly controlled farming (the EEC is
trying to sort this aspect out at the moment). However, the problem
doesn't stop there. Here are a few more example of how fish can enter
the everyday diet with disasterous consequences for highly allergic
people.

1. The fish residues in English beer
2. The fish residues in many European wines
3. The use of fish proteins in the icing on cakes
4. Any meat products where the origin of the meat is uncertain
5. The use of fish gelatin in sweets
6. Via the milk powder used in confectionery and chocolate
7. The use of monk fish as a lobster replacement
8. All products containing egg

The monk fish one nearly finished me off in a Chinese restaurant in
London some years ago. I can eat lobster (real) but monk fish is about
as healthy as a dose of cyanide for me (and I didn't know!).

Unfortunately. I have had to spend my life trying to avoid fish in all
its obvious and hidden forms - it is a constant battle. Has anyone else
similar experiences?

Ellerman12