More information on bone meal.
---
Bone Meal
Bone meal is a phosphate product that is derived from the bodies of animals such as cows and fish. Unless stated otherwise, the product is usually made from cow carcasses. Bone meal is commonly used by organic farmers and home gardeners because it is relatively abundant and inexpensive. Also, compared to raw rock phosphate, it contains much more available phosphate and it is generally more effective on plants.
However, because bone meal is derived from recently deceased animals, vegetarian organizations recommend against its use. Another widely reported problem is that dogs and other carnivorous animals that may be attracted to the smell of bone meal will dig up gardens where this material is applied. Some articles suggest that bone meal should not be used if such animals are present.
A much more controversial issue concerns the possible relationship of bone meal, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or Mad Cow disease), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Alzheimer’s, and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) (the human form of Mad Cow).
Most sources agree that BSE is most likely spread through the consumption of BSE-infected meat and bone meal. Most sources also generally agree that the prion that is the suspected transmission agent for BSE is very difficult to destroy. Because of this, the U.S. and Britain no longer allow cattle bone meal to be fed to cows. Briton does not allow the use of bone meal in agriculture either.
The controversial aspect really begins with the purported link of BSE to vCJD. The similarity of time and space of outbreaks of BSE in cattle and infections of vCJD in humans in England is reportedly a strong empirical relationship. There are also reportedly strong similarities in the suspected prion and symptoms in both diseases. Although most researchers appear to agree there is a link, some hold that the connection has not yet been proven. Even more controversial is the possible link of BSE to CJD and Alzheimer’s. Some suggest that a reported 9,000% increase in Alzheimer’s cases and reported misdiagnosis of CDJ as Alzheimer’s may indicate that BSE is already infecting people in this country. We have provided links to some informational web pages below so that you can begin to read about this and decide for yourself if humans can be infected with BSE, and to what extent.
But if humans can be infected, the next question is whether there is a mechanism for infection. If, as many claim, there is essentially no chance of cattle in the U.S. being BSE-infected, and all bone meal comes from U.S. cattle, then the answer clearly is that there is no risk. However, whether the U.S. is actually BSE-free is controversial. We have supplied links below for more information so that you can begin research to find the answer that you believe most. If you find that you believe the answer is that there is potential that BSE-infected cattle parts may be incorporated into bone meal, the answer as to whether vCJD infection could result from use of BSE-infected bone meal as a fertilizer is not known for certain.
A number of sources state there is concern for gardeners using BSE-infected bone meal. Some suggest that even though they believe the risk is extremely low, gardeners who are concerned should wear a mask and avoid bone meal exposure to open cuts. On the Dateline program, two doctors suggested there was a possible link to vCJD infections and the use of bone meal as a fertilizer in the home gardens of victims. They had no proof of the connection, but nevertheless suggested that it should not be used. So most of the available information suggests that there is a possible concern, but these concerns appear just antidotal. No studies are cited and no proof is given.
And although we found no studies regarding the risk of using BSE-infected bone meal as fertilizer, we did find one published paper that addresses the safety of fertilizer that is derived from acid treatment of bone meal. A report that was released through the European Union’s Health Consumer Protection Directorate-General specifically addressed the safety of dicalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate made from bovine bones and used as a fertilizer. These products are apparently made much as WSP is made from rock phosphate – by passing strong acid through bone meal to leach the phosphate from it. The resulting phosphate-rich acid is then used as a fertilizer. So the study concerns this end product, and not bone meal per se.
The report concluded that it is probably safe to use these bone-meal-derived phosphate fertilizers. However, at page 3, the report makes an interesting qualification. There, it states that “because of the longevity of the TSE agent protein (BSE protein) in soils, the risk of accumulation in the environment of possible residual risk is not completely excluded if applied in large quantities or repeatedly on a same area.” We are not exactly sure what that means, but it appears to say it is safe as long as you do not use it. Make of that what you will. The entire report is available at http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/ssc/out322_en.pdf
-----