exposed: pink slime and other facts about the meat industry
Terri Gross, host of NPR's "Fresh Air", recently interviewed agriculture expert Tom Philpott about the meat industry in America. Philpott did a great job explaining topics such as pink slime (inedible parts of animals that are ground up and added to meat products), e. coli contamination, mad cow disease, and the general process of meat production.
If you didn't catch the interview, you can listen to it right here.
Because of reporting like this, the public has expressed outrage about pink slime, demand has dropped, and the company that manufactures it is likely going out of business. It's a step in the right direction!
What do you think of this story?
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12 comments
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"This practice (pink slime and the similar practices 'meat glue') are symptoms of a much bigger problem. We've got to get to the root of what would cause people to say this is okay and also figure out how in the world we as a people let this manifest.
What a great opportunity we have to educate, inform and gently pursuade people to bring more consciousness to what they put into their bodies. It has been my experience that once one can get a glempse of truth (light) there's no turning back.
The question is, how do we turn on the lights for those fumbling in darkness?
Live through example, speak with compassion not judgement and understanding are all good places to start. I haven't always been conscious so I understand the wall that get put up, I understand the ignorance as I'm sure we all do.
We must move forward tactfully and slowly but surely we will illuminate the ever expanding field of consciousness of all people around the world.
One way or another this way of living e.g., over consumption, disregard for nature, etc., is unstustainable and will eventually fix itself with or without our direction. Nature has a way of making things right and we're no exception.
I'm up for the challenge and I welcome it.
Let us all have the courage to live rightly, inform others with tact, remain positive and speak, act and live through the unshakeable power of unconditional love.
Namaste,
-BE, love :-) -Brother Echo"
::thumbs up:: !!!!!!
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This is a perfect example of corporate greed and our government fully enabling it. I don't honestly believe that most people want to eat pink slime or genetically modified foods. Just like I'm sure most vegans don't want to destroy rainforests, but yet they buy Earth Balance buttery spread, which contains palm oil.
We are up against huge corporations with lots of money that buys them influence in Washington, so that they can continue to lie to consumers. President Obama promised in his campaign to label genetically engineered foods, but not only has he not delivered on that promise, but he appointed a Monsanto executive to be in charge of food safety.
There is a lot of misinformation out there, and it's overwhelming. But there are organizations out there seeking to expose the truth--PETA, Organic Consumers Association, RAN, etc. And kudos to NPR for their story about pink slime. I've noticed that they have aired quite a few stories about the meat and food industry lately.
As far as buying groceries every week, I try to understand where my food comes from, and buy locally grown, whole foods as much as possible. -
I WAS ecstatic because my hubby saw the "pink slime" stuff on the news and online and was thoroughy grossed out and couldnt eat chopped meat for 2 mos but Then summer came and he and my son are recently back on their Bubba burger stint : ( Damn! I got all excited for nothin!
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The sad part about pink slime is that the industry has nothing to worry about, for now. The USDA purchased all the pink slime formerly used by McDonald's and is giving it to schools for use in their lunch programs. My solution is to pack my kids a healthy vegan lunch. Not only is it better for them but I slip in better love notes than the lunch ladies ever will!
Another misconception is that there is no one big supplier for pink slime. Pink slime is the little bits of meat left on the bones processed in every slaughterhouse across this country. As long as there are slaughter houses there will be pink slime. And I'm playing devil's advocate here but considering a life was taken don't the ones responsible have a duty to honor every cell of that being? I don't know I'm conflicted here. On the one hand I'd like to think meat-eaters recognize that what is on their plate was a living,breathing being, who felt pain and fear and they honor that being with the knowledge that that being becomes a part of them (No wonder we have road rage and too many pills for depression too many people live on misery.) on the other hand I'd like to see less of the carcass as marketable so that meat would become more expensive. -
I heard about this a few months ago and shared several posts about it on facebook as well as talking to friends and family. We ALL signed a petition online to get "slime" out of our schools' food programs. It's disgusting that the government would allow our children to be served this crap!! Guaranteed if THEIR kids were eating it more would have been done sooner!
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Corporations desperately seek the perception of promoting health and safety, when their actions indicate a different intent. Often they seek government sactioned protections through legal standards that are clearly inadequate. Human health is not a priority for people intent on optimizing profits. By the way optimizing profits is a legal mandate for corporate boards. When the perception of being healthy is easily achieved through media manipulation and political pay offs, who will stand up for truth when the careers of influencial people will suffer?
Leadership of our largest corporations and other institutions create a culture intent on increasing self-promotion with low regard for factors that will never be found on a balance sheet or employee review. This problem is not limited to the food industry. It is found in every industry and every government agency.
Business schools teach the benefits of "economies of scale," but when will they consider the hidden impact on the lives of inumerable employees and customers? How few people recognize that an animal based diet is strongly correlated with diabetes, cancer, and vascular disease? Even our best physicians have been poorly educated about the real causes of disease of excess. Instead, our medical community becomes adept at treating symptoms and providing serious interventions when the problem becomes worse. The profits increase, but the insights diminish.
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This practice (pink slime and the similar practices 'meat glue') are symptoms of a much bigger problem. We've got to get to the root of what would cause people to say this is okay and also figure out how in the world we as a people let this manifest.
What a great opportunity we have to educate, inform and gently pursuade people to bring more consciousness to what they put into their bodies. It has been my experience that once one can get a glempse of truth (light) there's no turning back.
The question is, how do we turn on the lights for those fumbling in darkness?
Live through example, speak with compassion not judgement and understanding are all good places to start. I haven't always been conscious so I understand the wall that get put up, I understand the ignorance as I'm sure we all do.
We must move forward tactfully and slowly but surely we will illuminate the ever expanding field of consciousness of all people around the world.
One way or another this way of living e.g., over consumption, disregard for nature, etc., is unstustainable and will eventually fix itself with or without our direction. Nature has a way of making things right and we're no exception.
I'm up for the challenge and I welcome it.
Let us all have the courage to live rightly, inform others with tact, remain positive and speak, act and live through the unshakeable power of unconditional love.
Namaste,
-BE, love :-) -Brother Echo
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@Rhonda: Whenever I speak to friends/collegues, even strangers about the atrocities of the meat/pork/dairy/poultry industry, most do not want to hear it or do not believe it is as bad as I say. When I offer them videos, they resuse to watch. IMHO, most would rather bury their head in the sand than face the truth behind how food winds up on their table. Others believe buying "organic" means the meat must be safe and the animal was treated with lots and lots of TLC before it was executed. For most, the label "Organic" on any animal product alleviates the guilt. I wish there were more people like us who choose a vegan lifestyle.
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Great stuff. When enough people say NO hopefully the government agencies and companies will listen. It does take effort on our part and we also do that by not consuming their products. It amazes me that people believe food wrapped in plastic is safe, oblivious to the cruelty that has been inflicted on that product under the plastic wrap, and all the chemicals and hormones it contains. I hope people will become aware of what they are eating and Alicia is doing a good job of uncovering some of these issues. Many thanks.
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Addendum: Does anyone know I can grab Alicia's attention so she can show case Mercy For Animal's Protest in Boston on July 6?... I'm not very savvy on this forum. Thanks!
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Disgusting! If this doesn't turn people vegan, well then I don't know what will.
I recently received an email from: Mercy for Animals. I live in Boston and they will be conducting a protest (on Boston Common) on July 6 10:30 - 12:00. The protest is titled: Puppy Hamburger: Why Love One but Eat the Other? Pro-Vegetarian Demonstration.
Included in their email was a video exposing "egregious cruelty". Every time I watch a video like that, it disturbs me to my core. I don't think I will ever get used to or numb to animal cruelty of any kind - which includes farm animals.
If you live in Boston or in the surrounding area, try and stop by to show your support.
Here is an excerpt from their email:
That's right-puppy burger. A 10-foot-long inflatable puppy in a hamburger bun-smothered in cheese, ketchup, mustard and lettuce, to be exact. This attention-grabbing visual will join Mercy For Animals as we gather in Boston, MA, to spark a debate over why we call some animals pets, and others dinner.
Please join us for this traffic-stopping demonstration, which will expose consumers to the reality that farmed animals are every bit as capable of experiencing pain and suffering as the dogs and cats so many of us know and love, yet are forced to endure egregious cruelty throughout their lives on factory farms and are brutally slaughtered. Activists will also be holding signs and distributing literature promoting a vegetarian diet.
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I think this is awesome. Pink slime has been in debate for a very long time and I remember watching CNN last semester at school. The person who was debating for pink slime was an advocate of the meat industry! Biased much?
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