172 responses
Except that eating or not eating animal products has nothing to do with this? Sure. Waffles have animal products but not all food borne illnesses and risks come from
eating animal products. There are many parasites and harmful bacteria that are found in dirt - pesticides aren't the only reason to wash your fruits and veggies.
Ollie I actually had to stop doing a fruit demo last year because of Listeria recalls on Apples, Apricots and Plums
please don't spread ignorance that avoiding animal products will keep you safe from dangerous bacteria and parasites
well that was a very very nervous moment as I checked to see if the frozen waffles I ate this morning were the ones being recalled.
everyone has a right to their own thoughts/opinions and there's no need to get harsh
Sorry, my issue was the tone and I felt it did need to be pointed out that most of these contamination issues are not the solely animal product-related
i work in a healthfood store and theres no animal products anywhere and we still have to be cautious because soil contains listeria, and sprouts are a big carrier of it
(i got nothing against voluntary dietary restrictions - im largely vegetarian myself but the condescension from that response made me extremely angry).
well I mean it's fine to disagree XD I have no problem with discussions from various viewpoints but there's no need to take up arms though I understand the sentiment
I just want to stop it from turning into a mud slinging contest and I appreciate everyone's cooperation
It wasn't meant to be condescending in the slightest. It's true that you can get Listeria from fresh produce too, but it's more likely in animal products.
Fruits and vegetables that get contaminated, are only contaminated by manure. It's all pretty damn connected.
Unless you're eating your waffles frozen and not heating them thoroughly, listeria shouldn't be much of a problem! Small victories
Listeria is the name of a bacteria found in soil and water and some animals, - First Line. Yes, Animals are listed, but third - soil and bad water is the first source
Most of what I'm reading specifically cautions against its presence in more animal sources (raw meat, unpasteurized milk + things made with it) but does mention its presence in soil
Vilyasage: cantaloupe in particular has been the source of a huge listeria scare recently!
also we had a listeria scare here where I work, in which there is no meat/animal products around anywhere
Oh and unpasteurized milk and cheese but honestly anyone who eats those is taking their life in their own hands
oh yeah but people still do it! Organic grocers get around it by selling the milk as "animal food" with a label that says "not for human consumption"
cheese is a little complicated, because you can buy unpasteurized cheese but it has to be aged a certain amount
Really the biggest threat to our food supply is the industry farming, because if one get contaminated, it contaminates a huge amount.
I'm not sure why you would. From what I know of cheese making, you want an organism free milk to start so you can innoculate it with the strains of bacteria and fungi that you want
A great amount of cheeses in Europe aren't made with pasteurized milk. I don't know the science to it, but it's much more common there
yeah, Americans would have to be careful about eating some of those cheeses, their bodies aren't used to them
I'm not sure it is? I mean we were making cheese long before we were pasteurizing milk.
I just have had too much food safety and public health education to ever want to risk it personally
I worry less about raw cheeses than milk, since the aging process does eliminate a lot of pathogens
Oops I bought eggos after watching stranger things =\ ehhh its not like I'm heating them up in the woods
also potatosium if you don't mean to be condescending it's generally a good idea not to reply to public health PSAs with comments to the effect of
i'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt here and assume that you genuinely didn't realize how inflammatory such a comment would come off as
and not just 'I make smart life choices' but 'I'm the only person who makes smart life choices' Because the p/a smiley made the statement all the more condescending imo
yeah the smiley adds to the condescension effect, a lot of people read them as passive-aggressive or smug, especially when you're talking about a choice that is frequently a moral one
also phrasing it as an absolute contributes to the condescending effect. by saying "more reasons not to eat animal products" you're directing this statement at all readers
if your intent is only to express that you're glad it doesn't affect you, a less inflammatory way to say that might be "i'm glad i don't have to worry about this since i avoid animal products"
Thank you - I dealt with enough militant vegans at work my patience for them off-hours is thin.
(you wouldn't think you get that many militant vegans in a walmart, but you'd be wrong)
(i have gotten a few "i got cancer from eating the chemical food!" and just. screamed in my head and sent the nurse to educate)
i mean to be honest i originally wanted to comment with "lmao get over yourself tho" but when i saw them say they didn't mean to be condescending i decided to be helpful instead
I'm happy for people for whom veganism or other diets either health or belief based work! But I get a bit snippy over misinformation so I apologize if my earlier response was out of line.
yeah, my issue was that it ignores that Listeria recalls are more common with fruit/veggies
(that would be a VERY unhealthy diet for me, because n8v genes. My sister tried it and got extremely sick and ordered to never ever do it again so)
handsoplenty: tbh it was also bc you asked people not to start fights so ty for roping that in early on
and i've found that approaching a potentially inflammatory or escalating conversation with calm and a genuine intent to educate can totally defuse it almost every time
ie "okay you're probably not just trying to be a dick, so how else can i interpret this and respond productively to that"
start polite and then match what you're met with has been a good strategy for me so far
It's just that it's more likely to be killed in the processes meat products must use to kill other things in fact.
It can incubate in cows & chickens without being noticed but this is because they eat things directly from the ground that hasn't been processed/purified
Also because it can be found even in cold refrigerators, this makes it harder to clear out of foods like veggies or waffles 
My first thought was 'isn't that what caused the salem witchcraft hysteria??' which is incorrect (correct answer: ergot). The info re: listeria in produce is super handy though, so thanks!
(I think Salem is more a culture-bound hysteria) but yeah, another example of a dangerous plant-based contamination
also, the only animal products in these waffles specifically are whey and eggs, and whey is pasteurized, and eggs are a salmonella risk (only if raw), not a listeria risk
so the recalled product may not be vegan but it's unlikely that the contamination arose from the non-vegan ingredients
i researched this because i was curious and what the hell else am i gonna do at work, my job?? psh
The contamination in these waffles is probably post processing tbh... Something between the waffle being finished and being packaged.
i think the sad thing is that listeria has a stronger effect on the young and elderly and like
They're probably not even contaminated, many companies will do a recall if they even think it MIGHT be
(tbh, I'm a bit skeptical of the Ergot theory as everything involving with mass hysteria gets blamed on ergot)
like, they made this batch of waffles and on their next bacterial screening they found some listeria
yeah when it comes to contamination recalls, most companies don't want to wait until consumers actually get sick to call one
i don't...think i have ever actually seen de-shelled sunflower seeds for sale before
Kernels? Sunflower Seed Kernels 25 Lb. (1 pcs Case) That's how I usually eat them. Leave the shelled ones to lure in birds outside.
