VegE-News is a monthly news and events email service. It is free to subscribe. Their latest issue's stories included:

• Meat main source of serious bacteria infection. A new study has found that nearly all of the campylobacteriosis cases in the patients evaluated were caused by bacteria in animals farmed for meat, in particular chicken and cattle. Camplylobacter jejuni causes more cases of gastroenteritis in the West than any other bacterial pathogen, including E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridium and Listeria combined. Meanwhile, resistance to antibacterials in animals is rising. Salmonella and Campylobacter, in particular, are becoming increasingly resistant to current antibiotic treatments.

• Threat of 'major global recession' tied to bird flu. A severe outbreak of flu could kill tens of millions of people and spur a "major global recession," the World Bank is warning world leaders preoccupied with financial, food, and fuel crises. The bank has drawn up a worst-case scenario in which a flu pandemic could kill as many as 71 million people, cost three trillion dollars and cut global gross domestic product (GDP) by almost 5 per cent. [Crowding of domestic poultry has been identified as a major cause of bird flu.]

• Vegan diet good for Type 2 Diabetes. A vegan diet may do a better job of reducing cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients than a diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), according to a new study. Two out of three people with diabetes die of a heart attack or stroke, so reducing cardiovascular disease is a priority.

• Cancer risk in grilled chicken meals at leading restaurants. A new study in Nutrition and Cancer (an International Journal) found that grilled chicken items at leading chain restaurants raise the risk of cancer. An analysis of 100 grilled chicken items from McDonald's, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Chili's, Applebee's and other chains found that they all contained PhIP, the most abundant of a group of carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). The levels of PhIP contained in grilled chicken entrées, many of which are considered "healthy" menu selections, could contribute significantly to a person's total intake of carcinogens and may play a role in the development of breast, prostate and other cancers, according to the study.

More news

• New film: Eating Mercifully. The Humane Society of the United States released a film called Eating Mercifully as part of its new "All Creatures Great and Small" campaign. In the film, Dale and Elaine West share how their Christian faith led them to give up their meat consumption. The couple lives on a farm that has been turned into an animal sanctuary. The film examines Christian perspectives on factory farming. View trailer.

• You heard it on Oprah: Factory farms stink. "Oprah Winfrey's [October 14] show, How We Treat The Animals We Eat, blew the lid off the egg industry, shining a long-overdue light on the bleak, black underbelly of sunny-side up. Investigative reporter Lisa Ling had to don a sanitation suit and cap before leading her camera crew through an industrial egg facility where 87,000 chickens were crammed into criminally close quarters and covered in, well, chicken sh*t. Words could hardly convey her revulsion at the stench..." Related: Oprah goes vegan - at least for 21 days.

• New Toronto vegetarian food bank is booming. Canada's only vegetarian food bank is barely five months old and already serving more than 200 people from locations in Scarborough and North York – areas under-served and with large vegetarian Hindu communities. Anyone interested in helping can call 416-744-4357.

• Japan slaughters thousands of dolphins, ignores protests.

• Special extended DVD edition of 'Earthlings' released. Earthlings is an award-winning feature-length documentary about the suffering of animals used for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered one of the most persuasive documentaries ever made, Earthlings frankly presents the day-to-day practices in some of the world's largest industries. The new edition includes more than 25 minutes of deleted scenes with additional narration by Joaquin Phoenix and two featurettes. Subtitles now are offered in 10 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian, Arabic and Hindi. View trailer and first 7 minutes.

• She's raw and loving it. Rose Vasile's life has taken some interesting twists in the past decade, from intense insurance executive and pack-a-day smoker to laid-back advocate for the raw food movement. Once she made the transition, she quickly shed 23 kilograms (50 pounds) and noticed several improvements in her health including sleeping more soundly, clear skin, mental clarity, increased energy and her allergies had disappeared. The 57-year-old Rose is the author of the self-published Uncooking with RawRose: Your Guide to Raw Foods. See www.rawrose.com