Hi, Putting on my professional hat (biochemist, protein chemist), I would say that there has to be a possibility of contracting BSE through bone meal. The BSE agent is known as a "prion". A prion is a rearranged version of a normal body protein. The rearranged form, actually refolded, is then pathogenic. Steam does not inactivate it; and neither, obviously, do digestive enzymes in the gut. Breathing the dust should work even better than eating it, if you want to contract the disease. Its manifestation in humans is known as vCJD, or the fast acting variant of Creuzfeld-Jacob Disease. People who want to sell you bonemeal and other animal byproducts will vigorously dispute this. There are also people who dispute that we are undergoing global warming. In cases where future personal profits are involved, the value of the opinions offered should be seriously questioned. I have banished all forms of bone meal from my garden, permanently. It is not worth the risk. Even though that risk should be very small, it is not equal to zero. Getting vCJD would be a really unpleasant way to die. Jim James E Shields, PhD retired biochemist & protein chemist At 12:18 PM 1/23/2004 -0500, Jim McK. wrote: >Judy mentioned BSE: did anyone else hear as I did that researchers have not >ruled out the possibility that humans could contract SE from handling bone >meal? Yikes! ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd. P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. ++1-317-867-3344 or toll-free 1-866-449-3344 in USA