Topic: factory farming

Cows Now Eat Gummi Worms; What This Means For Our Meat

Cows Now Eat Gummi Worms; What This Means For Our Meat

This morning, when I read that American cows are being fed such nutritious fare as gummi worms, cookies, Fruit Loops and ice cream sprinkles, I could barely pick my jaw up off the floor. Yes, you read that right: due to a corn shortage, farmers have resorted to feeding cattle whatever cheap food they can get their hands on. Apparently, sugar-laden options are the cattle diet du jour. More »

There’s Arsenic In Your Chicken

There's Arsenic In Your Chicken

You only eat lean chicken breast and you never eat it fried; in fact, you even follow recipes recommended by your favorite diet books. But apparently, you’re still putting your health at serious risk: It turns out that a drug commonly given to chickens to help them gain weight, maintain their yellow color, and avoid parasites — Roxarsone — is metabolized into arsenic, a poison that can cause headache, confusion, convulsion, diarrhea, vomiting, and even coma or death. Not the stuff a healthy diet is made of. More »

Tilapia’s Dirty Secrets Prove That More of Us Should Just Be Vegan

Tilapia's Dirty Secrets Prove That More of Us Should Just Be Vegan

Osama bin Laden stole the New York Times front page yesterday, but the story that was originally slated to splash onto top news was about tilapia, a fish so popular and versatile that it’s overtaken tuna as “chicken of the sea.” In recent years, it’s popped up on menus and fish counters everywhere but, like most fish that doesn’t come in a can, most of us are unaware of where it comes from or how it gets to our plate. What’s more, most of us don’t realize that the tasty fish is far from nutritious. But what “Another Side of Tilapia, the Perfect Factory Fish” really proves to me is that, instead of seeking out the best kind of animal to provide our omega-3 and protein, more of us should just consider going vegan. More »

Taco Bell Meat Controversy: Why I’m Glad Its Tacos Are Only 36% Beef

Taco Bell Meat Controversy: Why I'm Glad Its Tacos Are Only 36% Beef

Yesterday, the news broke about the class-action lawsuit being filed against Taco Bell by an Alabama law firm, which claims that the fast-food chain engages in false advertising by claiming that its tacos are “beef,” when they allegedly contain just 36% beef — well below the requirements that the U.S. Department of Agriculture sets for a company to label beef as “beef.” (We even did our own post about the juicy scandal, which Taco Bell refutes.) So what comprises the other 64% of its taco meat? According to Taco Bell’s website, its beef also contains things like wheat oats, isolated oat products, and soy products. I don’t know about you, but I’m thrilled that Taco Bell’s tacos may in fact only be about one-third actual beef. Personally, I’d much rather eat wheat oats, isolated oat products, and soy products than what Taco Bell considers meat. Why? Well, do you know the provenance of Taco Bell’s beef? I can assure you that it’s not a family-owned, organic, grass-fed beef farm in the pastoral New England countryside. No, I’m thinking more along the lines of high-volume factory farms where cows exist in unspeakably horrific conditions, are treated badly, and are slaughtered inhumanely. More »