A Spanish pathologist who specialized in a human strain of mad cow disease died Saturday, and officials suspect the disease played a role in his death.

 

The doctor was head of the anatomy pathology section at the University Hospital Principe de Asturias in Alcala de Henares, outside of Madrid, according to the Madrid regional government's health office. He died Saturday night, at the hospital where he worked.

 

It is not known how the doctor might have contracted the disease, but the health office said it was not thought to be through ingestion of contaminated meat. Authorities are investigating whether the doctor had been exposed to contaminated human tissue through his work.

 

Several samples have been sent off for testing, but results are expected to take a month.

 

The doctor was well known both in and outside Spain for his work in the pathology field. His speciality was the human strain of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.Since 2001, 702 Creutzfeldt-Jakob cases have been reported in Spain, of which 87 have been reported in Madrid. Five people have died.

 

It's been almost 25 years since the Smiths released the album "Meat Is Murder," and singer Morrissey still holds to that belief. The New York Post reports that at a concert in New York Wednesday night, the vegetarian vocalist requested that no meat products of any kind be allowed in the venue while he was there.

 

"There were no deli sandwiches, sushi, pepperoni pizza or anything else that used to have a face," a source told the New York Post. "Even the cleaning staff were happy to do their part by bringing in veggie sandwiches for lunch."

 

According to a report on ContactMusic.com , Morrissey's vegetarian demands on tour extend to his crew, and crew members could be fired if they were caught eating meat. Some think that the singer's requests go too far.

 

"Having done a stint at catering and concert production, I've seen my fair share of insane hospitality riders from bands," Sheryl Kirby wrote on food and restaurant blog TasteTO . "But the recent demands by Morrissey go beyond anything that is reasonable." And according to a concert rider posted on a Morrissey fan forum, Morrissey requested on a 2008 tour that "If there is a barbeque spot nearby, the artists' room should be placed so that the wind will not be in their direction."

 

Halal International Processing, a York, S.C., establishment, is recalling approximately 2,925 pounds of beef, chicken, goat, and lamb products that were mislabeled.

 

Poultry products labeled with the USDA mark of inspection for meat were identified in commerce. Additionally, it was determined that the establishment was operating at times without the opportunity of federal inspection, which is prohibited, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced Saturday. 

 

All frozen meat and poultry products produced from April 3, 2008, through March 7, 2009, bearing the establishment number "EST. 19825" inside the USDA mark of inspection, are subject to recall.

 

There are no production or code dates to distinguish the products (pdf) that were produced under inspection from those that were not produced under inspection. The frozen-meat and poultry products were distributed to retail establishments in North Carolina and South Carolina.

 

The problem was discovered after FSIS personnel identified the frozen-meat and poultry products in the marketplace. FSIS has received no reports of illness due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness should contact a physician.