>What chemicals are you referring to? In what way are they dangerous?
 >(i.e. are they cancer-causing, or neurotoxic, or what?)

I'm going to have to beg off on this. I haven't done as much research as I
should on the subject.  There have been lengthy articles written on the
subject but I have none at hand at the moment.  A few things you might want
to check out though:

Enig & Fallon, over on the Paleodiet Symposium, did recently post about the
negative effects of the synthetic vitamin D placed in almost all milk you
buy over the counter.  (See
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A2=ind9706&L=paleodiet&O=A&P=2538)

Also, Lindeberg just posted some even more interesting stuff about the
potential problems caused by lactose.  (See
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A2=ind9707&L=paleodiet&O=T&P=54)


>Dean, I'm curious that it seems you only mistrust
>post-harvest contamination. Why doesn't your concern extend to the
>agricultural practices themselves?

I'm not sure I understand.  I am concerned about the environmental damage
caused by agricultural practices.  I eschew the use of cereal grains, as
these have repeatedly and compellingly been demonstrated to be both
unnatural to the human animal and a potent health hazard.  Dairy is a
concern because of the lactose and possibly the casein, and because I know
that some of the chemicals they put straight into milk, such as the
artificial vitamin D, have been shown to be a threat.

In general I agree that free-range meats are the most responsible way to
grow meat.  But I am less concerned about the effects of grain- and
antibiotic-fed meats on my -personal- health because I have yet to see
convincing data to suggest that these result in chemical changes in the
meat which are a threat to me.  In the specific case of grains, there are
three things appear to be a health threat to humans: phytates, high-octane
carbohydrate, and gluten.  From the strictly evolutionary perspective of a
predator like myself, a prey animal like a cow exists in order to convert
what is inedible to me into something I can eat.  There is no gluten in
grain-fed meat.  There are no phytates in it.  And there's barely enough
carbohydrate to measure, let alone worry about.

Antibiotics -- why are they a danger?  Antibiotics saved my wife's life at
least twice in the last year.  They've probably saved mine at least once.
Furthermore, I have seen no data indicating that any significant amount of
antibiotic compounds make it into the meat of the animals who eat it.  If
there ARE data suggesting that there are antibiotic compounds in modern
meat AND that show compellingly that it's a threat to me, I very much want
to hear about it.  Until then I can only take this alleged threat so
seriously. It may -be- a threat, but it may not be, and (so far) I have
seen no reason to be worried about it.

In general eschew notions that "artificial = bad" or "natural = good."  I
am interested in specific, concrete data and reasonable, well-thought-out
hypotheses.  I'm always happy to learn more if I can, though, so if I'm
wrong about something I very much want to know it.