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| Sunday,13 November 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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No more
chicken and eggs say some
by Nisansala R. Aryachandra Avian flu fear has taken its toll. With the situation escalating in some Asian countries, people here are also reacting by taking precautionary measures. Result: They are excluding consumption of chicken and eggs altogether. Some are so fussy about their preventive methods, they have done away with cakes too! So who says our people are slaves to temptations and yearnings? Given the right 'threat' to freeze their urges, they are capable of anything in order to safeguard their families and loved ones. Such are the common traits of the Sri Lankan people. The avian flu threat has reached that adequate level with all the right combinations to scare the 'life' out of all of us. Still having the upper hand of being in control of the situation, people are all geared up to halt the situation even before it gets here. This however is at the expense of poultry farmers, fast food, restaurant and bakery owners and the poor hopper sellers. These days, the heat of the elections and avian flu seems to be going hand in hand with nothing escaping the intellects of the masses. Nothing but the right facts register in their minds. Being well informed on the two subjects, it's clear that they are practising their right of choice well in both these matters. With regard to avian flu too, they are making their own judgements on what is best to do in spite of reports from various authorities saying that thoroughly cooked chicken or eggs is not a carrier of the virus, and that it is safe to consume poultry products. However, this is what some had to say: Mahesh, a Colombo based businessman and a father of two says " Avian flu is unlike other viruses, it is transmitted via birds, food, and also from human to human. I read in a newspaper that we are in a high risk situation because this being the migratory bird season which continues till April and that many birds come to Sri Lanka from Central Asia where there are already reported cases of bird flu. My family cannot have a meal without meat, specially chicken because we don't eat pork or beef, so it is very difficult. However, we have completely stopped eating chicken and eggs." "There are no guarantees that this virus will not reach us. Although, official statements are issued about the safety of consuming poultry products. In the same breath they warn about its transmission to humans and that it can easily spread among domestic fowls. This is very confusing for us, which is why we have given up on poultry products altogether, It's hard, but its better than dying", says Lally, who's a mother of two. Quite a different perspective comes from A.D. Perera, a retired nurse at General Hospital "it is best to do away with meat altogether, who wants to die of a god forsaken illness at this ripe old age. I think it is a way of God letting us know to stop sinning, killing and consuming all these animals. At least now, we have no choice but to make a choice." Coming to the views of many chicken lovers, the final decision is the same. Dhammika, a mother of two young children says, "Although our poultry farm owners stress they do not import poultry, how can we be sure? I am a lover of KFC chicken, and my elder son does not like home cooked meat, he loves KFC, but I hear they import the chicken, now who wants to take such a risk. I haven't sighted the place in months." Nandika, a resident in Australia who is here on a short visit says "My son loves to eat out, his favourite is junk food, however of late we have limited take-away since the avian flu outbreak. Avian flu is a pandemic and there is no telling that it won't reach Australia no matter how developed they are." Running a mini supermarket and a restaurant in Australia with her husband, she also comments, "Being business people ourselves, we know how hard this situation is. In our trade, poultry products are indispensable." The WHO having issued statements recommend that all meat (eggs too) should be properly cooked to a temperature of at least 70C. The decision to consume poultry products or not however is a choice one has to make on his/her own. The dangers, risks, safety and preventive measures are all laid out to make an informed decision. Although it can be safely said that as of now there is no trace of the virus in our habitat, we cannot wholly rule out it reaching us, as there is no great wall dividing us from the rest of the world. |
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