Subject: Re: slow viruses and organic soil amendments
From: <don@bio-organics.com>
Organization: Internet Access of Ventura County 805.383.3500
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 08:28:54 +0000
Message-ID: <MOD$970925.8572@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$970924.26118@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


Tonymsrad wrote:
>
> When one buys blood, bone meal, etc., is there any risk of slow virus
> transmission? Are these things heat treated?
There are sterilization procedures for all these type products, but I'm
not sure you could say there is zero risk in using them.

One of our company's advisors on things organic is Dr. Bargyla Rateaver,
who pioneered the teaching of organics in the UC system and fought
against the all-chemicals agriculture that was featured at all ag
universities after WW2. She is very much against the use of blood meal
and somewhat less against bone meal, for fear of transmitting virus.
But, as far as I know, there has been no actual problem incidents you
could point to on this topic.

The Mad Cow issue is, of course, sparking a lot of discussion about
this. My company is still selling a fertilizer product that contain
blood meal and bone meal, but it happens to be chicken blood from a
poulty processing plant and fish bone meal from a seafood cannery. I
think this sort of recycling waste products instead of dumping them is a
good thing, but I'll keep reading all the articles I see about product
safety.

Don Chapman
Bio/Organics Supply Center
Camarillo CA
<http://www.bio-organics.com>