Bad Day for Cargill Factory Meat

Posted on 12/07/2009 at 1:58 pm by Bob Cesca

Check it:

cargill_beef_is_people.jpg

There’s a very simple solution to the salmonella and E. Coli O157:H7 issue. Stop feeding cattle grain and other non-grass crap. Since cows are supposed to eat grass, they’re significantly less susceptible to salmonella and E. Coli if they eat what their stomachs are designed to digest.

Problem solved.

In theory.

But instead of, you know, just feeding cows grass instead of corn!, corporate agribusiness is introducing a vaccine for E. Coli O157:H7. Yeah, I’m sure this will solve the problem and won’t create any unwanted side effects or resistant strains. Yummy.

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  • m4rk0

    How about avoiding meat altogether? Better moral choice, better for the environment and better for your health.

  • the Yardener

    It’s a better moral choice only if you’re not buying your meat from local sources. that treat cows humanely.Switching out grains for grass is the wrong answer because you will still have a CAFO operation. It’s the factory treatment of these cows that cause them to shed pathogens such as E. coli.See realmilk.com, scroll down for the “Experts Defend Bacteria in Raw Milk: Court Testimony” PDF. One of the two experts mention that how you treat an animal causes it to be healthy, and inhumane treatment causes it to shed pathogens.And then as you might know, the rendering of these animals is inhumane and presents a real health risk for all involved. You’re basically eating freshly packed shit. So go ahead and feed them grains and you will still wind up with food contamination issues because feed is just one aspect of the entire system that produce not just meat but several pathogens.

  • m4rk0

    There nothing humane about killing a living being.Substitute cow, pig, chicken, etc with “your mother” when talking about humane killing methods and all of a sudden it doesn’t seem so humane after all.

  • eljefejeff

    well m4rko, to be fair, your mother is a human, hence the term “humane”, whereas animals aren’t.Personally, I’m a vegetarian, used to be a vegan but I struggled at work and in other social settings, now I try to limit my dairy and eggs and get it from “humane” sources. It’s very difficult. Anyone who cares about the environment or animals and continues to eat meat is a hypocrite.I call myself a hypocrite for eating dairy products. That’s all I want, the acknowledgment by meat eaters that they are support and finance animal suffering and global warming. Then maybe some of them will cut back.

  • Allonfla

    m4rko: telling people to think of their mother the next time they eat a burger won’t change anyone’s mind.

  • m4rk0

    Allonfa: I never asked someone to think of their mother when eating their next burger.All I’m saying is that there really isn’t any reason to continue eating animal products. It’s not like you need to drive to some far away specialty store hundreds of miles away in order to be vegetarian or vegan. Your local grocery store is perfectly suited to meet those needs. Plus there are thousands of websites and cookbooks easily available to everyone to switch to a plant based diet. It’s never been easier for people to do the switch.Besides, it’s so much healthier for you. You’ll never hear a heart attack patient get their doctor to recommend a meat and dairy diet to help in their recovery. Heck, chances are you probably won’t get a heart attack if you eat plant based, whole foods.And don’t get me started on the environment. You’d be better off cutting out meat then getting a Prius and switching to CFLs.

  • http://politicalpartypooper.wordpress.com/ Political Party Pooper

    But steak is so yummy. I’m not going to stop eating it. I’m also not going to stop eating chicken, venison, pheasant, fish, or any other animal. Ever.Furthermore, I’m not going to tell you what to eat or not to eat, where to drive, how much to drive, or where to shop. Please be polite, and do the same for me. Now excuse me, I have to go light up my cigarette.

  • cynicalgirl

    Even if an e. coli vaccination is effective, there is another problem in that source of the bacteria is shit. So if even if e. coli is no longer a threat, your meat is still contaminated with feces, and this gives them an excuse to forget about good sanitation. Likewise, irradiating meat might kill the bacteria, but most people don’t want to eat meat that has come in contact with feces, e. coli or not.

  • m4rk0

    Not true cynicalgirl, PPP would be happy to.

  • http://politicalpartypooper.wordpress.com/ Political Party Pooper

    Tell me, m4rk0, how many plants have you ever eaten that didn’t come into contact with crap? Do you grow your own garden? Do rabbits pee on your lettuce? Of course they do. Do deer shit in farm fields? Obviously. Unless you are going to declare war on the entire animal kingdom, you are never going to get rid of the “shit-on-my-food” problem.So, no, it doesn’t bother me. I’m just happy to have SOMETHING to eat.If I might make a suggestion for us meat eaters, if you are worried about dirty meat, try your local small butcher. He doesn’t cost much more than Walmart Superstores, and he doesn’t buy meat by the trainload. You’ll have better luck there, and you’ll be supporting a local small business.

  • m4rk0

    PPP, stop telling people what they should do.”I’m not going to tell you what to eat or not to eat, where to drive, how much to drive, or where to shop.”Excuse me while I go light up a spliff.

  • Gottverdammt Klaus

    but… shit is natural. Organic, if you will. A necessary part of the circle of life to be appreciated and, if I may, celebrated.Please excuse me while I go render a sacrifice unto the Porcelain God.

  • http://politicalpartypooper.wordpress.com/ Political Party Pooper

    Hey! Wait up, m4rk0! I’ll join you with my cigarette! It’s always more fun to smoke with someone else.

  • http://www.osborneink.com Matt Osborne

    Egad, so much about meat eating in these comments and not enough about the point Bob made, which is that cows evolved to eat GRASS. Anyone ever heard of Kobe beef? Grass-fed. Feed the cow what it evolved to eat and the cow is not only happier and healthier, it tastes better.I buy free range eggs not because they are humane, but because chickens evolved to eat bugs and scraps and things you wouldn’t step on. Result? My breakfast has more flavor than yours.