‘Cannibal Sandwiches’ Could Make For An Unhealthy Holiday ...

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Inquisitor: Cannibal sandwiches might sound appealing to some folks, but officials warn that the odd holiday appetizer could send you running for the nearest hospital.

If you don’t live in Wisconsin, then cannibal sandwiches might sound like something found in a low-budget horror movie. According to Fox News, the concoction consists of raw ground beef positioned carefully on a cracker. These strange treats are often topped with onions.

Although the Center for Disease Control and Prevention previously warned folks not to eat the cannibal sandwiches because of the dangers associated with consuming raw meat, this apparently hasn’t stopped people from serving the dish in question to their family and friends. Some people never learn.

Officials said that over a dozen people were reportedly sickened by the appetizer last year alone. Milwaukee historian John Gurda explained that the cannibal sandwiches began as a tradition at funerals and holiday parties in Germany and Poland. However, the appetizer became increasingly obscure due to the dangers associated with eating raw meat.

ABC News reports that the dish is popular in certain regions of the Midwest, though it’s commonly found in southern Wisconsin around the holidays. In addition to E. coli infections, those with a fondness for the dish also have to worry about salmonella, listeria, and campylobacter.

Wisconsin Department of Health epidemic intelligent service officer Abbey Canon warned cannibal sandwich aficionados that ground beef should reach an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees in order to kill off any harmful bacteria. Otherwise, you’re putting others at risk. In short: Eat the appetizer in question at your own peril.

Despite efforts from officials to spread the word about the dish, some people insist on scarfing down raw meat on a cracker. In fact, six people who were seriously sickened by cannibal sandwiches said they wouldn’t have a problem eating the appetizer again.

According to Top News, the CDC previously encountered over 50 cases of cannibal sandwich-related sickness in 1972, 1978 and, 1994 through Wisconsin. Although officials tried their best to warn folks about the inherent dangers of eating raw meat, people who simply adore the dish can’t help themselves around the holidays.

“In spite of progressing effort deliberations tending to the dangers connected with expending undercooked or crude ground meat, this territorial occasion convention proceeds to be connected with flare-ups,” the CDC said in a recent statement.

What do you think about Wisconsin residents scarfing down cannibal sandwiches during the holidays? Would you risk your health to try one of these peculiar appetizers?

 

Wisconsin - At Issue: Should fetal tissue be illegal to buy or sell for scientific research?

A weekly feature on proposed changes to state and local law.

In a nutshell

Recently introduced legislation — Assembly Bill 214 and Senate Bill 172 — would make it illegal to buy or sell fetal body parts for use in scientific research. It also would prohibit researchers from using any part of fetuses that were aborted. 

The case for it

The bill has 52 Republican representatives and eight Republican senators signed on as cosponsors. Supporters say it would establish "reasonable standards for human tissue research," as sponsor Rep. Andre Jacque, R-Bellevue, wrote in a State Journal op-ed. He pointed to evidence that UW-Madison researchers used body parts from aborted fetuses in the 1990s and said the bill would prevent that practice from happening again.

He described the bill as representing "basic respect for human dignity and principled research." Anti-abortion rights groups have come out in support of the measure. 

The case against it

UW-Madison officials and some in the high-tech business community oppose the bill, arguing it would set back medical researchers in the state and possibly cost hundreds or thousands of potential high-tech research jobs.

David Ward, interim chancellor of UW-Madison, wrote state lawmakers urging them to oppose the bill, saying it would ban both fetal tissue and cells derived from fetal tissue, such as stem cells, which would hamper research at the university.

To get involved

To contact your lawmaker to oppose or support the bill, use the legislative hotline, which is staffed from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. weekdays; call 800-362-9472 or 608-266-9960. To send an email, visit the Legislature's website at legis.wisconsin.gov, select Senate and follow the link.

Source: Wisconsin State Journal

OCD Drives Man To Mac Attack - 23.000 Times

updated 7:37 a.m. PT, Tues., Sept. 9, 2008

54-year-old says OCD drove him to eat a burger nearly every day since 1972

FOND DU LAC, Wis. - A 54-year-old man says his obsessive-compulsive disorder drove him to eat 

Fifty-four-year-old Don Gorske says he hit the milestone last month, continuing a pleasurable obsession that began May 17, 1972 when he got his first car.

Gorske has kept every burger receipt in a box. He says he was always fascinated with numbers, and watching McDonald's track its number of customers motivated him to track his own consumption.

The only day he skipped a Big Mac was the day his mother died, to respect her request. 

The correctional-institution employee says he doesn't care when people call his Big Mac obsession crazy. He says he's in love with the burgers, which are the highlights of his days.