Yesterday a mad-cow press release caught our attention with this statement: “six out of ten Americans polled say they are concerned that the disease may affect beef here in the United States.” It also claimed that a whopping 76 percent of Americans would reduce or eliminate their meat consumption “if the disease was even suspected in American cattle.”
Did this PR tidbit come from the Centers for Disease Control? The US Department of Agriculture? The Food and Drug Administration? Surprise! The press release was from the nannies at Gardenburger, a corporation that sold $71 million worth of “meat alternative” foods last year. The mad cow scare campaign seems to have turned a corner, as companies like Gardenburger are spreading fear to make a buck.
