October 15, 2005 2:53 PM
More on 'Up in Flames!'
The US has blocked the distribution of around 350,000 packaged meals donated by Britain for victims of Hurricane Katrina, because of mad cow disease.
US officials said the meals - routinely eaten by UK soldiers - were not considered unsafe but fell foul of its post-BSE ban on British beef products.
They said none of the hurricane victims had gone hungry as a result.
The US State Department is now trying to pass on the ration packs to countries in the developing world.
The US has a ban on beef from Britain dating from 1997. Several other European countries' products are also banned.
The ban was imposed after the outbreak of mad cow disease - bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) - in Britain and fears that it was linked to the brain disorder variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in humans.
Confusion. However, the embargo was initially overlooked in the chaos that followed the hurricane that devastated parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, officials said.
One US official, who wished to remain anonymous, told the AFP news agency: "In disasters people have to make quick decisions, commodities have to move quickly and... mistakes always happen."
The US Agriculture Department eventually blocked distribution of the packages on 6 September, by which stage about 118,000 of the ready meals had already been sent out to victims.
The remaining 357,000 have been sitting in a warehouse in Arkansas, at a cost of $16,000 (£9,000) a month in storage fees, as the government decides how to dispose of them.
Terri Teuber, a spokeswoman at the Agriculture Department, said the decision to stop the distribution of the meals would not leave victims hungry.
'No takers' "By the time our inspectors were on the ground, we had confirmed that there was no longer the emergency need," she said. "It's critical to the story that our inspectors confirmed that the people were being fed before they held back any MREs (Meals Ready to Eat)."
Adam Ereli, deputy spokesman at the State Department, said Washington was looking at other countries to donate the food to, but had not yet found any takers. "We are looking to use these MREs in the same spirit of charity and goodwill that they were provided to us. We would certainly hope that other countries in need, or other needy populations would be able to make use of them, and we certainly invite any countries that see a need to contact us," he said.
WHAT'S IN A READY-TO-EAT PACK?
Meat dish - often beef-based such as stew, corned beef
Rice
Bacon and beans
Chocolate, biscuits, sweets
Dried fruit
Juice, chocolate, soup - all powdered
Crackers
Pudding
Chewing gum
Condiments, sauces, tissues.
Source US rejects British Katrina beef
I've eaten these rations before, they're known to the British Army as 'compo rations' and they are very filling and satisfying. Frankly, I'm appalled at this wastage and consider it as a slap-in-the-face by the United States for the United Kingdom!
October 05, 2005 7:52 PM
RONNIE BARKER'S TOP TEN JOKES.
1. The search for the man who terrorises nudist camps with a bacon slicer goes on. Inspector Lemuel Jones had a tip-off this morning, but hopes to be back on duty tomorrow.
2. Have you heard the one about the retired general who said he had not had sex since 1956? His friend said: "`That's a long time ago." "I don't know," the general replied, "it's only 20.27 now."
3. The man who invented the zip fastener was today honoured with a lifetime peerage. He will now be known as the Lord of the Flies.
4. In a packed programme tonight we will be talking to an out-of-work contortionist who says he can no longer make ends meet.
5. The toilets at a local police station have been stolen. Police say they have nothing to go on.
6. A new publishing venture was announced today, the Stock Breeders Gazette and Playboy magazine are to get together to produce the Farmer Sutra.
7. Arnold Crump, a 6ft 9ins, ham-fisted, hairy drunk with a short temper, bad breath, acne, dandruff and fleas, was named by Scotland Yard today as Britain's most unwanted man.
8. A famous Spoonerism from sitcom Open All Hours: "Don't just crit there siticising."
9. George Mumble the Bodmin man who swallowed 200 weight of laxative for a bet on coronation night has celebrated his Silver Jubilee. He's been on the throne for 25 years.
10. As prisoner Norman Stanley Fletcher in Porridge, when playing a game of Monopoly: "Would you Adam and Eve it? Go to jail!"
Source.
2. Have you heard the one about the retired general who said he had not had sex since 1956? His friend said: "`That's a long time ago." "I don't know," the general replied, "it's only 20.27 now."
3. The man who invented the zip fastener was today honoured with a lifetime peerage. He will now be known as the Lord of the Flies.
4. In a packed programme tonight we will be talking to an out-of-work contortionist who says he can no longer make ends meet.
5. The toilets at a local police station have been stolen. Police say they have nothing to go on.
6. A new publishing venture was announced today, the Stock Breeders Gazette and Playboy magazine are to get together to produce the Farmer Sutra.
7. Arnold Crump, a 6ft 9ins, ham-fisted, hairy drunk with a short temper, bad breath, acne, dandruff and fleas, was named by Scotland Yard today as Britain's most unwanted man.
8. A famous Spoonerism from sitcom Open All Hours: "Don't just crit there siticising."
9. George Mumble the Bodmin man who swallowed 200 weight of laxative for a bet on coronation night has celebrated his Silver Jubilee. He's been on the throne for 25 years.
10. As prisoner Norman Stanley Fletcher in Porridge, when playing a game of Monopoly: "Would you Adam and Eve it? Go to jail!"
Source.
