The mass production of meat is a thing that is becoming increasingly difficult for me to support in good conscience. The concern over the quality of live for the animals kept to be processed by the tens of thousands per day, through some of these mega plants, has degraded to a point where the practices uncovered at the Westland Hallmark plant in CA are common place. It makes me ill. And then there is the issue of the quality of the end product. Here is a quote from Mary over at Bosky Dell Farms in Vermont:
". . . The meat was recalled after the Humane Society of America made a random visit to the Westland Hallmark meat production facility in Chino, CA, and videotaped sick cattle being abused, then fork-lifted to slaughter. The concern with slaughtering sick, or what's known as "downer cattle" since they can't walk, is the possible spread of prion disease. In cows it's called Mad Cow Disease. In humans it's called Creutzfield Jakob's Disease, or CJD, but both are prion diseases. And humans can acquire CJD by eating diseased meat.
Prion disease attacks the neurologic system, and cannot be killed by cooking or freezing meat. It is both incurable and fatal. It takes decades to develop symptoms, which can initially be misdiagnosed as depression, insomnia, and dementia.
We've had a law on the books since 2003 that prohibits slaughtering downer cattle for meat. Recently the USDA was allowed to change the rules to allow downer cattle to be used if a vet could show that the cattle had an injury. The Humane Society has announced they are now suing the USDA over the rule because they say that cows that are sick from neurological diseases are more likely to fall and break a leg, so there's still a risk. . . ."
Take a moment to read the rest of her post:
The Bosky Dell Farms Story
Childern in Maine have also been exposed. here are a couple of articles to read:
Bangor News
Sun Journal
It's time to take a minute, two minutes, several minutes, as many minutes as it take for you to change your mind if you are hooked on mega chain food stores, and think about the many good things that can happen when you start taking seriously the Eat Local Challenge: I don't have to list them really they are pretty obvious. But, Local is Fresh, When you buy local you can see how it was produced and what it was fed or grown on. You can financialy support those practices that are earth friendly and sustainable. Your health will improve. Your community will benefit from your participation in many ways. I've been a bit neglectful myself this past year. I am renewing my commitment for 2008.
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