Eating Animals: Are Consumers Being Deceived By the

Meat Industry?
September 27th, 2010 by Jessi Stafford · Consumer Perspective, Lifestyle

When approached to write a post on something I’m

passionate about regarding veganism, I

looked down at the book I’m reading.
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I
think to myself every morning as I’m
reading it on the bus to work, “Why has
nobody read this?”; “Why is mass media
not talking about the issues raised here?”;
and “Why does nobody CARE what is
happening in our country and the rest of
the world?” So, I decided that the issues
closest to my heart today concern the well-
being, or better, the sustainability of our
world and the human species.

I know what you’re thinking. Oh LORD,

THAT’S RICH, here’s another high-and-
mighty vegan activist who sees a
conspiracy in everything and is always out
to convert someone. That’s not all that
factual. I’m a girl who left religion because
it involved too many absolutes, someone
who hates confrontation to the point of
utter passivity, and the last person to think
she would ever evangelize for animal
rights, let alone become a vegan. But I
did. And then I researched. And I found
things worth raising my voice about…even
though that’s completely unlike me.

Here are my concerns – reminding me of

when I stayed up at night as a child
worrying about the world’s end due to
SUN EXPLOSION. (Yes, I used to lie
awake at night because the world was
going to come to an end when the sun
explodes and encompasses the Earth, in several BILLION years from now. Nerd.) These days I’m worrying
about things that are much more imminent – in fact, already happening. My next three points will
summarize my fears in regards to issues that may affect the world and human health (and animal health)
as we know it.

1. Untreatable, yet FATAL influenza strands and immunity to antibiotics. In Eating

Animals, Safran Foer presents a very well-planned outline and very, very thorough research on the topics
of factory farming and meat consumption. The issue of antibiotic use in farmed animals and the correlation
between meat demand and hybrid influenza strands was perhaps the most shocking for me. The section
on the influence of flu epidemics/pandemics starts off with the warning that another pandemic like the 1918
“Spanish flu” is not only possible, but inevitable – it’s just a matter of when, much like predicting
earthquakes along major fault lines. The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) says as
much. The WHO also keeps a list of “things you need to know about pandemic influenza” for humans
which states items such as, “all countries will be affected”, “medical supplies will be inadequate” and “large
numbers of deaths will occur.” SCARY.

Robert Webster, a virologist (studies viruses) posits the “barnyard theory” and proved the avian (bird, i.e.
poultry) origins of all human flu strands. “The viruses in human pandemics recruit some of their genes from
flu viruses in domestic birds.” When “living” birds (also swine) are kept in terrible conditions, constantly in a
state of illness, it goes to follow that humans, who are consuming these animals and living close to
them, are also more susceptible to disease. Plus, most birds are just carriers so illness is largely
undetected until it reaches humans. These conditions make it easy for influenza strands to jump species
and mutate.

So, here are all these farm animals, being pumped full of antibiotics daily so they don’t expire as a result of
the horrendous conditions in which they are being kept, and so that they can meet industry-desired
standards for sale (genetically modified based on frivolous and unnatural attributes like taste and
appearance). These antibiotics eventually make their way into our water and food supply, directly, and with
the knowledge of the industry. The FDA mandates humans go to a doctor to be prescribed antibiotics
BECAUSE too much exposure to antibiotics will make a person – and not just individually, but humans in
general - immune to their healing power. But people are ingesting antibiotics in LARGE doses every day in
their meat and dairy. This has resulted in a lower response to antibiotics and MORE health problems that
weren’t as prevalent fifty years ago (obesity, asthma, early onset puberty, heart disease, the list goes on).

And this flu. Because of the inhumane and contaminated conditions of the animals who become the food
people eat are basically breeding grounds for viruses, as carriers. Americans just have to play a waiting
game for when a pandemic will strike.

2. Mutant chickens and other farm animals. Back to the living conditions of farmed
animals. ”Layers”, or chickens that lay eggs, live in artificial environments with their food and light patterns
regulated so they pump out more eggs. When they are used up, they die. But many birds don’t make it
that far, and die in the process. “Broiler” chickens are genetically modified to be more like the meat found
in stores – to such an extent that they can’t stand on their own or even fly. They wouldn’t be able to live to
full-term, even if they were allowed, because their genes have been tampered with for so long. But they
aren’t meant to, their lifespan now genetically disposed, and disposable, to be fleeting. They don’t live
longer than a few months before being slaughtered.

In fact, if left to their own devices, most chickens and pigs would not be able to survive in natural settings,
having been bred to “live” in artificial environments for a few generations. Why won’t these animals end up
on the endangered species list? Why does nobody care that they are eating genetically modified meat
(let’s not get started on produce) that hasn’t undergone long-term testing, and whose ramifications are not
fully understood? Scientists not appointed by the USDA never have the opportunity to do research with full
approval to test and publish their findings. Cover-ups are the rule not the exception. Which brings me to
the next point:

3. Deception of what is actually healthy for humans. First off, the USDA is first and foremost
the biggest conflict of interest to checks and balances (what a joke) in our country. They are in charge of
providing nationally recognized recommendations for what is healthy and what isn’t – but at the same time
they are charged with being pro-food industry, which now means being friendly with factory farms. This
leads to the fun game of lobbying for the removal of any practices that seem anti-industry (like the ethical
treatment of animals, altered food labels, etc) and in many cases lawsuits, where the big companies
always win.

The USDA can’t afford to look too closely to what goes on in the secretive factory farms so their
“inspections” are often nothing more than a peek inside the door. Chickens, pigs and other farmed animals
have horrific lives, living in confined quarters and being bred using genetic alterations that will make them
the ‘ultimate’ food product, with no regard for their own inherent right to life. They aren’t humanely
slaughtered in 99% of the “farms” in America, much of the time feeling their own excruciating deaths and
infecting the humans who eat them (there’s karma for you). The USDA is also in charge of such nutritional
guideline gems as the Food Pyramid and daily intake requirements, but since they’re in bed with the
National Dairy Council, they can’t very well say, “Eat less meat.” In fact, they aren’t allowed to say anything
more than “Decrease fat intake”. It even goes so far as making up the claim that milk reduces osteoporosis
to make more profits for the dairy industry. The list is endless and the lies have been going on since the
’50s when these agencies were created.

There are too many powerful arguments in Safran Foer’s book Eating Animals to summarize here. The
best answer would be for everyone, not just vegans, to read it. I wish there was an easy way to overhaul
an entire world’s infrastructure and devise a new process for “feeding the world,” as well as keep everyone
healthy. But, perhaps humanity is destined to self destruct and animal hormones and factory farming are
just the tools with which to do it.

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