AR-News: (Malaysia) What to eat next?

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

By LYDIA TEH 
DO you still eat chicken?” my mother-in-law asked last weekend.  
“Yes, but less,” I replied.  
“Better not to eat it,” father-in-law said.  
One week earlier, my mother had said: “I went to the pasar malam to buy 
chicken but there’s none. Both chicken sellers didn’t turn up as there’s no 
business.”   
Such conversations are probably echoing throughout Malaysia, nay, across Asia 
where bird flu has made its presence felt, either directly or indirectly.  
Millions of chickens have been culled in 10 Asian countries, among them 
Thailand and Vietnam where the disease has claimed more than 20 lives. Most of the 
cases have been traced to direct contact with sick birds. Although there hasn’
t been any reported incidence of virus transmission during the preparation and 
consumption of chicken, people prefer to err on the side of caution.  
Everywhere politicians assure their people that chicken is safe for 
consumption by eating chicken publicly. Interested parties organise eat-chicken 
campaigns to spur demand for poultry. (When free chicken meals are offered, chicken 
phobia is forgotten and the meals would be snapped up faster than you can say, “
Squawk!”)  
Our government has banned the import of poultry from Thailand and given the 
assurance that locally raised poultry is safe. That hasn't stopped the demand 
from declining, though. As a result, the price of poultry has gone down.   
Some hypermarkets have put up large signs proclaiming: “Our poultry is 
locally produced.” (But their chicken is not fresh. I bought some chicken fillet and 
discovered that they stank after I removed the cling wrap at home. I cooked 
them for the dogs. The dogs are still alive.)  





full story:

http://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/3/2/features/7400568&
sec=features 
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