CANADA APPROVES E. COLI VACCINE FOR CATTLE
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization here has developed a cattle vaccine increasing the protection of water and food supplies from E. coli 0157:H7 that has been approved for distribution in Canada. This vaccine is the first of its kind and Canada is the first nation to have access to a vaccine created to control E. coli 0157:H7, the strain that was most recently linked to tainted lettuce and spinach in the U.S. Because E. coli contamination in cattle causes no production losses, the beef industry is hesitant to implement a vaccine that will cost producers money without increasing productivity, according to Lorne Babuik, director and chief executive officer of VIDO. The vaccine halts the attachment of the bacteria to the intestinal surface of the cattle, preventing E. coli from remaining in the intestine and thereby reducing the amount of bacteria shed by cattle into their environment. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency approved the vaccine for distribution to veterinarians last month and is based on a discovery by Brett Finaly, researcher at the University of British Columbia. VIDO invested between $2 million to $3 million over five years to develop the vaccine.
RALEY'S STOPS SELLING LIVE LOBSTERS
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Raley's here, after a three-day promotion of live lobsters earlier this month, stopped the event and does not expect to repeat it, according to The Sacramento Business Journal. After selling live Maine Lobsters for three days, “the company has no plans to repeat the promotion,” Raley's spokeswoman Nicole Townsend told the business journal. “It was a business decision to not repeat the promotion.” When contacted by SN, Townsend said, “You'll have to get your information from the business journal,” and would not comment further. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had urged consumers to call or email Raley's executives to ask them to stop selling live lobsters at the chain's 139 stores. The animal protection group had made similar requests of other grocery chains. Meanwhile, Raley's local competitors, Safeway and Whole Foods Market, have also stopped selling live lobsters.
