Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
BANNING BACON
A great many birds love
thetasteofbaconfat.Butlikeotherprocessedmeats,bacon
contains nitrosamines, carcinogenic compounds formed from some of the preservatives
used to cure the meat. Although nitrosamine levels in processed meats are far lower than
they were in past decades, bacon does have detectable amounts of it. Compounding that,
the very high cooking temperatures involved in frying bacon are conducive to nitrosam-
ine formation. So despite the fact that birds love it, bacon and bacon fat pose too much
of a risk to the long-term health of birds to warrant using it.
Q I bought some suet cakes that were recalled because they'd been tainted with sal-
monella. Is this a common problem?
A
No,it'snot.Salmonellaisunlikelytobeaprobleminrenderedsuet.In2009,somesuet
cakesthatcontainedpeanutproductswererecalledbecausethepeanutshadbeencontam-
inated during processing.
Peanutsandcornareexceptionallysusceptibletocontaminationbybacteriaand,espe-
cially,afungusthatproducesextremelydangeroustoxins,sothosesoldforhuman,pet,or
livestock consumption are carefully screened. Screening is not required for products sold
for wildlife consumption. For that reason, I prefer to buy suet cakes that don't contain
peanutsorcorn,althoughtheyareusuallysafe,andconscientiousmanufacturersdorecall
them if a problem is discovered. Whether you're feeding your birds pure, unadulterated
fat or suet cakes made with other products, it's best to stop offering it if birds aren't fin-
ishing it quickly, especially in warm weather.
