Page 80 - Spring2009

All Thumbs Book Reviews

Corrupt to the Core Given all that I would love to uncondition-
Memoirs of a Health Canada Whistleblower ally endorse this book, but I must put forward
By Shiv Chopra a few reservations. While I think the book suc-
KOS Publishing, 2008 ceeds at doing what it set out to do, it goes into
much more detail than the average reader is ever
Most of our readers are probably familiar going to want to know. Further, when talking
with the conflict of interest and corruption in about BSE (mad cow disease), he mentions noth-
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Well, ing about the brilliant research of Mark Purdey,
guess what? The same thing goes on north of the which was a disappointment.
border in Canada. After Chopra’s long and admirable struggle
In Corrupt to the Core, Dr.Shiv Chopra with Health Canada, after considerable public
extensively documents the racism, corporate exposure, and after demands from high up in
influence, lack of scientific objectivity, and Canadian government to clean up the corruption,
management incompetence at Health Canada. He it appears that Health Canada is more corrupt
has achieved some degree of success in opposing than ever. The well-documented corruption in
politicians and health ministers—who clearly the FDA has been ongoing ever since Harvey
have no regard for public health—by refusing, Wiley was forced out almost one hundred years
with other like-minded colleagues, to approve ago.
harmful drugs such as bovine growth hormone In Europe there is the corporate-driven fi-
for use in Canada. I greatly respect his integrity, asco called Codex Alimentarius. All this leads
character, courage and endurance in fighting that me to a conclusion that is not stated in the book
corruption for over three decades. and with which Dr. Chopra may or may not agree.
As a qualified scientist, he also confirms Trying to clean up the corruption is a battle
some interesting things that I’ve heard elsewhere, that will never end. Big industrial agriculture
including the fact that no truly new drugs have watchdogged by government bureaucracy does
been introduced in the last fifty years, anthrax not work and never will. Local agriculture with
is not a workable weapon of mass destruction, healthy competition between small farms works.
and Ciprofloxacin is probably the worst choice They can be kept in line by the one watchdog that
available to treat it. can’t be corrupted: the customer.
Review by Tim Boyd

The marriage of New York City chapter leader Claudia Keel to Matt Mercier
on October 4th was followed by a reception featuring nourishing traditional
foods. “Chef Georgia Melnyk worked tirelessly to prepare the most
delectable feast,” says Claudia. “Georgia works behind the scenes in New
York City with movers and shakers in the food world to help people
understand traditional ways of cooking.”
78 Wise Traditions SPRING 2009