The Editor, Sir:

I have recently come across a book The Omnivore's Dilemma - that paints a terrifying picture of the American beef industry. It is a warning of the dangers of eating imported American beef.

American cattle feed is a mixture of corn (the staple of the American agricultural economy), liquefied fat (usually beef tallow), and a protein supplement. Why is this a problem?

First, cattle have evolved to eat grass, not corn. The cattle, therefore, have to be vaccinated to prevent against the diseases that come from straying from their natural diet. The vaccination is no guarantee, however, especially for cattle in America that are confined to small, overpopulated, mucky cattle pens which are havens for disease.

A growing body of research also suggests that many of the problems with eating beef are really problems with eating corn-fed beef - rates of heart disease are much lower for those who eat grass-fed beef, for example.

Additionally, one of the main sources of the spread of mad cow disease was from cattle being fed cattle parts. Species are not meant to eat their own. The effects on humans of eating such meat have not been thoroughly studied, so we should be very careful about praising cheap beef when the long-term health costs have not been factored in.

You are what you eat, but you are also what your food eats. So support our local cattle industry and protect your health!

I am, etc.,

LISANDRA RICKARDS

Via Go-Jamaica