You ARE What You EAT, Are You a Tortured Soul?
Are we eating ourselves into a national health crisis? Why don’t we support local farms and community supported agriculture at a higher level? Would an increase in local farms help reduce the risks associated with large factory farms? What scares you more, the health risks associated with the factory farms (unhealthy/at-risk animals being slaughtered) OR the risk of animal cruelty (tortured soul)?
Last week I read an article (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/business/27food.html) about animal abuse at factory farms. The farm being investigated by the Humane Society happened to be in California and is the one at the heart of the recent beef recall. Non-ambulatory cows (those that can’t stand) are suspected of having a higher risk of carrying food pathogens E. Coli and Salmonella and, more rarely, mad-cow disease.
Regarding the abuse shown on the video (which I strongly recommend you avoid watching, it is gruesome and very unsettling), what troubles me is not only the cruelty to the animal, but the fact that sickly and dying animals are being introduced into our food system. The cruelty itself is awful and certainly deserves immediate attention. Yet, as reported more recently (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2008-03-24-meat-recall-sla...) this was not a rare occurrence, which suggests that the factory farms have been supporting the cruelty and forcing the sickly meat into the food supply.
Does this mean our food supply is full of not only possibly contaminated meat, but also meat from animals who have been tortured for the last hours of their lives? What effect does this have on the meat? Is there a lingering effect from the adrenaline and other chemicals released from the pain and anxiety caused by the cruelty that carries through to consumers of this food?
How do we feel about this? What effect has the Bush Administration policies had on the system that allowed this to happen? Reduced funding of the USDA led to a reduction of 800 personnel, according to the nytimes.com article referenced above. Some have suggested cameras at these farms as a preventative measure. Do you think that is the answer?
Lastly, how should we frame this discussion? Did my use of factual threats, like E.Coli and the possibility of a lingering effect from chemical reactions prior to death heighten your reaction due to fear? Would the discussion be more meaningful without such issues being raised? Should animal cruelty be discussed in conjunction with food safety issues? Or are they separate points of discussion?
This is a good post! You are not only raising awareness about the meat that we eat but you are raising awareness about animal cruelty that should, if it is not, be illeagle!
Actually, the Humane Society planted the investigator in the position for the purposes of exposing the animal abuse - which is illegal; but the bigger case has been made of the threat to the food supply that the practices resulted in. The inspectors who were there five times daily were unable to observe all the abuse that led to non-ambulatory cows which also had food safety issues being slaughtered. This is the exploitation of the non-ambulatory loophole that allowed SOME non-ambulatory cows to be slaughtered. I am really interested in how we can support local farms and this is just another reason to do so.
but the inspector was only planted in the one profiled farm...not any of the many others that potentially exist throughout the country...that's their job...but the USDA now only has 7,800 inspectors as opposed to the 12,000 it had in 1978...plus if there was an inspector there it looks even worse since the meat was transported all over California and my in fact have reached 48 other states.
exactly! that is the really scary part. I don't want to drum up fear tactics on this issue because my goal is not to scare people away from meat, but rather to advocate for better choices about the meat we eat and purchase. It is something we need to influence the government about though, because they are obviously the one who should be watching the meat for those who are uninformed or unable to make choices about the meat they eat (like kids in schools!) and others whose choices are limited by geography or economics...
I absolutely agree...I actually used the same article in a speech...it's also the spreading of these larger factory farms that has led to a reduction in unannounced inspections by the USDA from 22,000 a year to under 15,000 a year...I think the treatment of these animals and lack of support for these farms is downright disgusting...things have to change...check out my mad cows=mad consumers blog...it talks about some of this stuff
I absolutely agree...with you. There are major problems with the government actions that leads to these conditions and even more major problems with inadequate response. As for going vegetarian, I have also considered it, but chose to reduce the amount of meat I eat, increase the other plant-based foods that provide the protein and nutrients I would get from meat and then make choices about the meat that I do consume reflect my values. That means paying more for meat, but since I eat it less frequently, my theory is that everything evens out. Luckily, I live in an area that is interested in making ethical choices about meat and I can get hamburgers made from cows that were raised and butchered locally.
okay I understand what you meant in your earlier comment now...and yes we do need to pay more attention to what is going on with our food...it's something we can't ignore b/c we all have to eat...but we need to be aware
The thing i miss about my home town, is the local farms. My mom and i used to go everyweekend to "Bare Foot Farms" . You could pick your own veggies and strawberries, AND they have THE BEST homemade salsa and Jumbalaya(sp)? in the South.
Lately i have started buying organic baby clothing for my baby, and i have switched to fish and nuts and veggies and some friuts to improve my families as well as my personal health. I have never been a big red meat fan. Try reading fast food nation, I think that is the name of the book. it will blow your mind.
~I want to know God's thoughts, the rest is just details.-Albert Einstein~