Smithfield CEO Denies Swine Flu Connection; Stock Rises

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but it appears that a local television station -- WTKR in Norfolk, Virgina -- actually did some damn good investigative reporting on the swine flu. Looks like Smithfield Farms took notice of reporter Mike Mather as well. Mather lands the first interview with Smithfield CEO Larry Pope for his unequivocal denial.

And he went to La Gloria and didn't wear a mask.

"Had it not been called the swine flu, Smithfield wouldn't even be involved in this discussion at all," Pope said. "You find a boy in southern Mexico who gets sick. There happens to be a Smithfield facility near it and Boom, you have the linkage right there by some people's standards."

Smithfield volunteered to genetically test its hogs outside La Gloria and had its own consultants deliver samples to a University of Mexico laboratory. Results are due out next week, but Smithfield hasn't decided yet whether to make those results public.

Say what? I guess it depends on the outcome, of course. Initial tests by Mexican officials reportedly failed to find swine flu on Smithfield hogs, instead linking it possibly to Asian pigs.

Pope was already hedging. "Even if that farm is determined to have that (H1N1 flu), there's still no indication it went from that farm to that little boy."

Pope had been in the news lately lamenting how the company's poor press coverage was hurting pork sales. But wait, Oh Gee Willakers, the stock rose again just today thanks in part to positive press such as this piece in Business Week, which linked the strain to Canadian pigs.

I would say even if Smithfield isn't to blame for the flu outbreak, it's as good a time as ever to expose its despicable practices thanks to NAFTA which let it poison poor Mexican towns. Here's a great Rolling Stones piece many people are referencing on the net.

We should rewrite our trade agreements immediately and boycott factory farmed meat products. Meat labeled "organic" is your best bet. Remember Michael Pollan's advice: Eat food, Not too much, Mostly plants.


While we're on the topic of swine flu, I'd like to point out the recent stats on the outbreak. The death toll dropped quite a bit from initial counts. Check out this piece in the Philippine News with a nice rundown about the side effects of Tamiflu (which by the way Donald Rumsfeld is heavily involved through maker Gilead Sciences) and chances the virus could be germ warfare:

According to the World Health Organization, 1,490 confirmed swine flu cases have now been reported in 21 countries, resulting in a total of 30 deaths. It said Mexico has reported 822 confirmed cases, including 29 deaths. No deaths from the virus have occurred in countries other than Mexico and the United States, WHO said.