FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday 16 April 2001

CONTACT:
Simon Chaitowitz, Communications Director
tel: 202-686-2210, ext. 309; simonc@pcrm.org

Free "Veggie Starter Kits" Available for Worried Carnivores
Doctors Group Makes Offer in Wake of Latest Meat Recall

Washington, D.C.—As a response to the latest food-safety crisis—a 14.5 million-pound meat recall by Bar-S Foods Co. this week—the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is offering a free 16-page Vegetarian Starter Kit for worried carnivores. The firm's Clinton, Oklahoma plant has recalled processed meats and whole hams suspected of contamination with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

"Giant meat recalls and fear of mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases rightly have Americans concerned about food safety," says Jen Keller, R.D., PCRM staff dietitian. "But that's like being worried about a leaky faucet in the middle of a flood."

"The fat, cholesterol, and cancer-causing agents in meat (and that includes chicken and pork) are infinitely more devastating to public health than foodborne pathogens. Switching to a vegetarian diet would dramatically decrease the sky-high incidence of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure in this country," says Ms. Keller. "As tragic as foodborne illness can be, we hope this Bar-S recall is the last straw for many Americans. And anyone who feels like ‘enough is enough,' can call our office for a free Vegetarian Starter Kit."

PCRM's kit explains everything someone needs to go vegetarian and includes plenty of great recipes. To request a free copy, consumers should contact PCRM Customer Service at 202-686-2210, ext. 306, or <meatrecall@pcrm.org>. Another source of nutrition and recipes information can be found at <http://www.pcrm.org>.

A nonprofit healthcare advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., PCRM has been educating the public about the risks of meat consumption since 1985. PCRM is comprised of 5,000 physicians and supported by more than 100,000 laymembers.

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