...Cannibalistic Cows America’s diet is in a great dilemma. Just ask anyone where their food comes from, and they will usually say that it comes from the grocery store. However, one might ask where the food in the grocery store comes from. To gain a better understanding of the issues facing American’s eating habits and where its food comes from, Michael Pollen researches these questions in his book, The Omnivores Dilemma. Through his research, he notes that the 100 million head of cattle breed for food are living on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (C.A.F.O.) are fed slaughtered cow parts. As a nation, we need to educate consumers on the dangers of consuming corn fed beef, begin pushing for agri-business policy change from the top down, and partake in the benefits of eating healthier meat; if these changes are not implemented soon healthcare rates will soar, along with e Coli and outbreaks of other diseases associated with processing infected beef. The main problems with eating corn fed beef are the dangerous health risks and hidden costs that are passed down to the public. Associated with these problems are the government policies that prevent change. Continuing to ignore these problems will result in increased obesity, heart disease, and other ailments; as well as economic troubles for those in agriculture, business, and consumers. However, if we properly educate people on nutrition, change the way the agriculture and ranching industry treat cattle, and buy grass fed beef...
Words: 2219 - Pages: 9
...“Food, Inc.” is a documentary that has brought light to several issues concerning the public in the U.S. related to the food industry. Issues such as infectious disease, nutrition, and occupational health and safety are addressed. I will discuss the issue of nutrition in relation to public health in this paper addressed in this film with regards to meat farming, fast food, and genetic modification and antibiotic use in the food industry. Infectious pathogens such as E. coli have also been quieted by large meat companies and are brought to light in this film and I have addressed this issue below. It is imperative that the way America handles food changes or there will be major implications for the health of our population. “Food, Inc.” provides...
Words: 1270 - Pages: 6
...Grass- Fed vs. Grain Beef Daniel Ray Meek Hotel, Restaurant, and institutional meat 10/10/13 Chef Bradley Randoplh-Adams Today, the cow was fed can have a major effect on the nutrient in the beef. The cattle was often fed in grains, the animal we ate have been evolution by roamed free and ate grass. Many studies that had shown the nutrients in beef can be varying depending on how cow eat. It not only important how we eat, it is important the food we eat. What the different between grass-fed and grain-fed cow? All cow starting live similar life. Once calves were born, they start drink milk from their mother. Calves starting to roam and eat grass, shrub or whatever edible plants they find in their environment. This continues for about six to eighth month, and then the farmer will conventionally raise cows to feedlots. Large feedlot are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations ( CAFOs). That where the crowing cow is and their dung on their feet. The farmer has feeding grain-based to the cow to rapidly fatty up. The grain-based was base of soy or corn. The conventionally of cow grow faster by given drugs and hormones to grow faster, and antibiotic to survive the unsanitary living condition. The cow will be staying there for few month then move into factory for slaughtering. Grain-fed beef does not contain appreciable levels of carotenoids, for the simple reason that grains don’t contain them. Compare that to grass-feeding cow, which the cow may continue to live...
Words: 1006 - Pages: 5
...corn grown and used to feed the animals which sustain us. You see in the super markets all the time now, organic carrots, corn, potatoes, lettuce, grain fed hamburger. What does all of this mean? Taking a step back and looking where it originated, we see cattle herding. Herding cattle is as old as Time itself. As old as when the first cattle where domesticated over 50,000 years ago, and as old as the cattle drives done in the Old West. Now imagine living back in the days of the “Wild West”. Being part of a cattle drive and moving the cattle from the East coast and “Going West.” The cook or the “Boss man” of the cattle drive was the “man who owned the cattle they were herding -- but everyone also knew the cook was the man even the boss deferred to most often. The outfit's chuck wagon was a rough equivalent of a traveling general store, and the cook was not only the chief clerk of that store, he was usually the closest thing the cowboys had to a doctor, surgeon, dentist, tailor, and fussy maiden aunt.”(Old West, 2012) You being the “Boss man” have to feed the entire crew and making sure that you have enough to feed all. Beans will suffice but at some point you will need meat to feed the hungry crew. As the Boss man the cattle that are being herd across the country are yours, so you get the pick of the herd to use a food, clothing and/or shelter. You and another crew member take the one cow aside, so as to not spook the others, and kill it. You take the hide of the cow, preserve...
Words: 2542 - Pages: 11
...What Are the Effects of Animal Cruelty? Dalvi Herrera English 135 Professor Michael Gurin August.25, 2012 Do you know what animal cruelty is? This is a common question where people would probably answer with the same response. The thing is that do you really know what animal cruelty is? Animal cruelty is not only physical abuse that animals receive but also on many other factors. This type of animal cruelty mostly occurs on industrial farms. You’re also probably wondering what an industrial farm is. Well let’s just say that it’s a bad thing. A traditional farm is a farm where they raise livestock the original way. What I mean by the original way is that the animals have freedom. Animals have the ability to roam around in big spaces and live how they want with human maintenance. With this freedom, they can grow up to be healthy. An industrial farm is the opposite farm. The purpose of an industrial farm is to raise livestock and then ship them out to be slaughtered. Animals here have no freedom and no right. Animals are made to live under very harsh conditions. The living conditions are very poor. They are forced to live in a small environment with the same kind of animals. It’s so small and crowded that animals could barely move. With so many animals living in a small area, they all live in their own manure. There is maintenance in the farm but sometimes animals just live in such a long period of time in their own manure. This causes many effects but I will explain them...
Words: 2109 - Pages: 9
...Imagine not being able to move, communicate or interact, but have to stand in your own feces, for a minimum of a year. CAFOs, also known as feedlots, are tightly confined areas where copious amounts of animals are held and fattened up for 12 to 15 months before being sent for slaughter. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are around 15,500 CAFOs in the United States alone. There are different types of feedlots, many of them abundant of pigs and cattle. Cattle CAFOs should be more closely monitored by the government because of the antibiotic resistance being built up by humans from the meat and the inhumane ways the animals are treated. First off, the antibiotics used on the animals in CAFOs should...
Words: 811 - Pages: 4
...Why Don’t We Eat Dogs? Franklin Salcedo DeVry University 01-27-2013 Why Don’t We Eat Dogs? What makes some animals better than others? Or better yet, why do we eat certain animals while it is a crime to eat others? It is questions like these that many people would hope to ignore forever or rather avoid. But as humans, these are the type of questions which define us as better beings and often challenge us to think and act in a way that’s worthy of our better capabilities, intellect, conscience, and hearts. If only an animal would ever speak or rise up the way many human rights activist did in the past in defense of human equality regardless of race or skin color. Surely we would have massive protests and riots from pigs, cows, lambs, goats, and many other animals whose rights are just completely ignore by the vast majority. It is sad to see that these rights are only applied in favor of a handful of animals, while others are locked away and confined to feedlots where the powerful meat industry obliterates their rights and turn their lives into profitable pieces of meat. Though it is legal by law, culture, and trade, the maltreatment and killing of these animals to feed the inhumane and greedy meat for profit industry must stop not only because it violates animal rights, but also because it promotes an agenda of animal abuse, exploitation, and unhealthy human nutrition for generations to come. Instead, the Government should partner up with animal rights activist groups and...
Words: 2645 - Pages: 11
...at the dining tables of families. However, today, technology has allowed the mass production of food. Unfortunately, the market has taken advantage of technology, not letting us know how food is made, leading to the birth of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs are widely used in most foods today. Though most people are unaware of this, GMOs even exist in some of their favorite food products. Many reports tell that diseases, such as E-Coli and Salmonella, have been caught from GM-foods. Furthermore, researchers and doctors believe that GMOs carry a huge risk; although, some scientists claim that GMOs are completely safe for human consumption. GMOs should be banned because they have a negative impact on human health, and potential risks on the environment. Although GMOs were only introduced in 1996, the side effects can already be seen: there have been increased allergic reactions, antibiotic resistant bacteria and other toxic hazards. While these side effects of GMOs may seem minuscule in the grand scheme of things, the lasting effects can be much more drastic. More and more children are having life-threatening allergies, which can be contributed to increased GMO intake. Children that have been born with birth defects have been associated with the chemical, glyphosate. Glyphosate is an herbicide used to kill a wide range of weeds. This chemical alone can cause infertility, stillbirths, miscarriages and cancers. Researchers found that glyphosate “caused malformations in...
Words: 2202 - Pages: 9
...main concerns for human health arising from industrial agriculture? Firstly industrial framings produce large amounts of manure that pollutes water and air. This pollution may cause many human diseases for example ‘blue baby syndrome’ or E.Coli poisoning. Secondly, the animals in some industrial farms are fed with antibiotics to promote growth and prevent diseases. This was also proven to be a danger for humans as widespread use of antibiotics results in breading super pathogens (drug resistant bacteria).Besides antibiotics there are also other toxic substances which are used to feed the animals on these farms. These toxins may be contaminated in animal tissues and they create the risk for people who consume them. There are also indirect effects caused by these farms. As meat from industrial farms is reasonably cheap it is supplied to many fast food restaurants. As more and more restaurants of this type come to be in the market more and more people are at risk of unhealthy dietary consequences such as heart diseases or obesity. (Graces et....
Words: 2476 - Pages: 10
...net azou@mprm.com 49 west 27th street 7th floor new york, ny 10001 tel 212 924 6701 fax 212 924 6742 www.magpictures.com SYNOPSIS In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that's been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli--the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield Farms' Gary Hirschberg and Polyface Farms' Joe Salatin,...
Words: 9472 - Pages: 38
...Science) Prepared by: Victoria Campbell-Arvai Department of CARRS, Michigan State University August 17, 2009 Literature Review: A Comparison of Dairy Production Systems SUMMARY This literature review focused on studies comparing the effects of dairy production systems (pasture-based, conventional/confinement1, and mixed) on (i) environmental issues, (ii) social issues, (iii) economic issues, (iv) human health issues, and (v) animal welfare issues. The review was based on peer-reviewed research papers identified by experts at MSU, as well as (where specifically suggested) non peer-reviewed university and government reports. Additional studies were identified from the reference section of recommended papers, as well as via their citation index (primarily Google Scholar). A synopsis of each section is available below, as well as at the end of each section. There is a great deal of research –much of it based in the United States- on the environmental effects of all types of dairy farming, including intensive/confinement, mixed, pasture-based, and management-intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) operations. The vast majority of studies identified for this review focused on the fate and management of excess nitrogen and phosphorous, their effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and contributions to air quality and climate change. Many environmental mitigation efforts were suggested, including balancing nutrient inputs/outputs at the level of the farm, the watershed, and regionally;...
Words: 15922 - Pages: 64
...Introduction According to the Human Rights Watch, “the meat packing industry is considered as the most dangerous job factory job in America.” (Human Rights Watch, 2005). People employed in slaughterhouses are exposed many types of hazards on a daily basis that can jeopardize their health. Since the 1900s, there has been a significant incline in the demand for meat within the United States, which requires more people to work in production. (2013). A majority of these employees are classified as being a minority, having low socioeconomic status, and living in poverty. The conditions of these slaughterhouses are hazardous and dangerous and many employees are prone to exposure to more diseases due to the high rate of unsanitary factors such as animal bodily fluid on floors, hooks, walls, and tools. Injuries often occur in this work environment are due to quick speeds of the process lines and the amount of time employees are given to slaughter each animal. (Food Empowerment Project, 2014). These employees are also vastly underpaid. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “In May 2012, the median annual wage for slaughterers and meat packers was $24,330. The median annual wage for meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers was $22,830 in May 2012.” (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). These people endanger their lives every day due to the high volume of work, extended hours, and contact with biological, physical, and chemical agents. This environmental injustice raises...
Words: 3583 - Pages: 15
... Review of the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides SUMMARY Proteins are a very diverse family of large organic compounds involved in many important biological processes. Following their enzymatic hydrolysis during food processing or digestion, proteins may release fragments from their primary amino acid sequence. These fragments are called peptides, and many of them are known to be physiologically active. The possible beneficial effects of bioactive peptides have attracted increasing interest in recent years. On the other hand, there are also reports suggesting that some food-derived peptides might adversely affect human health. Among these, β-casomorphin-7 (BCM7), a peptide sequence present in the milk protein β-casein, has been suggested to contribute to an increased risk for certain non-communicable diseases, such as autism, cardiovascular diseases and type I diabetes. Some literature reports have proposed possible mechanistic explanations for such associations Recognising the alleged negative effect of BCM7 on human health, EFSA deemed it necessary to perform a comprehensive review of the published scientific literature in...
Words: 50772 - Pages: 204
...Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Explain Your Mood? The rich array of microbiota in our intestines can tell us more than you might think. By PETER ANDREY SMITHJUNE 23, 2015 Eighteen vials were rocking back and forth on a squeaky mechanical device the shape of a butcher scale, and Mark Lyte was beside himself with excitement. ‘‘We actually got some fresh yesterday — freshly frozen,’’ Lyte said to a lab technician. Each vial contained a tiny nugget of monkey feces that were collected at the Harlow primate lab near Madison, Wis., the day before and shipped to Lyte’s lab on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center campus in Abilene, Tex. Lyte’s interest was not in the feces per se but in the hidden form of life they harbor. The digestive tube of a monkey, like that of all vertebrates, contains vast quantities of what biologists call gut microbiota. The genetic material of these trillions of microbes, as well as others living elsewhere in and on the body, is collectively known as the microbiome. Taken together, these bacteria can weigh as much as six pounds, and they make up a sort of organ whose functions have only begun to reveal themselves to science. Lyte has spent his career trying to prove that gut microbes communicate with the nervous system using some of the same neurochemicals that relay messages in the brain. Inside a closet-size room at his lab that afternoon, Lyte hunched over to inspect the vials, whose samples had been spun down in a centrifuge to a radiant...
Words: 3359 - Pages: 14
...INTRODUCTION Biotechnology is one of the innovative branches of science. Biotechnology has created new revolutions in this era by contributing industries, medical sciences, food technologies and genetics. "Biotechnology is basically defined as the use of living organisms, their parts and their biochemical processes for the creation of beneficial products." Bio-technology has its roots in the distant past and has a large, highly profitable, modern industrial outlets of great value to society for e.g. the fermentation, bio-pharmaceutical and food industries. The main reasons must be associated with the rapid advances in molecular biology, in particular, recombinant DNA technology, which is now giving bio-scientists a remarkable understanding and control over biological processes. Some Technologies used in Biotechnology: 1. Bioprocessing technology * The use of bacteria, yeast, mammalian cells and/or enzymes to manufacture products * Large scale fermentation and cell cultures, carried out in huge bioreactors, manufacture useful products * Products: Insulin, vaccines, vitamins, antibiotics, amino acids, etc. 2. Monoclonal antibodies (MCAb) * Definition: Producing antibodies for medicine by cloning a single cell * MCAb are used for Home Pregnancy tests * Used to detect cancer (they bind to tumor cells) * Used to detect diseases in plants and animals and environmental pollutants 3. CELL...
Words: 8297 - Pages: 34
