All Animals Are Equal, But Some Are More Equal Than Others – Not All Meat Is Created Equal

In page 7 of the novel, Animal Farm there's a quote; “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, and he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.”

In page 112….” ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS". Clearly one of the best literature books I read as a youth. If you had asked me then, I would not have known it would have such a great impact in my career and life.

There is some evidence to confirm that humans were not designed to consume and process too much meat in their diet, hence the reason why there is such high incidence of diseases caused by consuming too much meat. In addition to this, drugs and antibiotics are used mainly in animal factory farming – further adding on to the growth of meat-based diseases like E. coli, Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE - MAD COW DISEASE) and Salmonella.

Factory-farmed chicken, cow or pigs are among the most highly medicated creatures. The justification for this is that it is done in order to enhance/speed up the endless supply and production of meat to the ever so HUNGRY consumer. Factory farm produced eggs, broiler chickens, pigs and many other animals are confined in cages leading to the increase of chronic diseases such as dysentery, cholera, trichinosis and other conditions.

One other result of these conditions is a high rate of meat contamination, being infected with Salmonella entenidis, which can pass to humans if the meat is not heated to a high enough temperature, Campylobacter, which can spread from chickens to human beings with deadly results.

A Closer Look Behind The Slaughter Houses

This cow, Molly made headlines when he escaped from a New York Slaughterhouse....shame!

Now let me try and create a mental picture of how these factory animals go through life before they eventually land on your plate, mind you, I am no animal activist but I am only trying to make you see why life today is a death trap when compared to pre-industrialisation.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 10 million animals that were dying or diseased in 2007 when slaughtered were processed into a protein-rich meal (rendered) to add to pig, poultry and pet food/meal. Corpses of animals that collapse at the slaughterhouse or during transportation are processed for human consumption – now how bizarre is that?

The family farm of the pre-industrialized era, with its "free-range" animals running around the farmyard or grazing in a pasture, is largely a thing of the past. Brutality to animals has become routine in today's factory farm.

Crowded pigs see no sun in their limited lives, with no hay to lie on and no mud to roll in. The sows live in tiny cages, lie over metal grates, and their waste is pushed through slats beneath them and flushed into huge pits."

Beef cattle are also not spared in their overcrowded environment, live their entire lives in near darkness, chained by their necks and unable to move in any direction. They commonly suffer from anemia, diarrhea, pneumonia and lameness. All chickens on the other hand are factory raised, living in wire-floored "battery" cage. The birds are de-beaked to prevent pecking injuries. Male chicks born on factory farms unfortunately are simply thrown into garbage bags to die because they're of no economic value as meat or eggs.

Are We Advocating For Vegetarianism, Is The Vegetarian Diet Really Healthy?

The common perception persists that removing meat from the menu is dangerous because of protein loss. 

Rightfully so, there is danger of protein deficiency if vegetarian diets are heavily dependent upon 1) fruit; 2) carbon loaded cereals and tubers; or 3) the particular western problem, junk food. A meat free diet can get its protein dose from a varied diet. It is not necessary to plan combinations of foods. A mixture of proteins throughout the day will provide enough "essential amino acids."

With this increased awareness, an abundance of misconceptions have emerged including the notion that meat is "bad" for you.

In their haste to avoid saturated fat, physicians and the public alike have lost sight of the fact that lean meat in reasonable serving sizes poses no threat to health and is an extremely important source of many nutrients.

The mistaken notion that only animal fats are saturated has resulted in a change in the source of fat but not the quantity. Health professionals must work together to educate the public about the many nutrient-dense, low-fat food choices available in a well-balanced diet.

Next week, we skim through a few articles to help you make your decision on the meat issue.




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