On eating meet and natural tendency towards vegan - The Cycling Network

On eating meet and natural tendency towards vegan - The Cycling Network

The following is shared as a supplement to the above and from my continued research.

Several food labels to consider when purchasing meats and/or ordering meat-based dishes at restaurant.

1. Certified Organic: this could mean that the animal is fed certified organic feed, but there is no guarantee that the animal was raised properly. As an example, as seen in the poultry industry, animals are crowded in cages or barns with little to no sun-light (darkness keeps them calm) and while they are fed organically certified feed (which can be corn based feed not really ideal for them), their lives are pretty much miserable. Same goes for how egg-producing chickens are raised. So, Certified Organic tells part of the story, but not the whole thing.

2. Farm Raised: this could be just a marketing label. Don't let it fool you to think that the animals range freely on the farm land with ample access to water and food. Consider, what is a definition of a farm? Is it the Little House on the Prairie or could it also bee a large track of dirt land that houses animals. Isn't a "farm" the place where live stock is raised, even if it's just a huge building in the middle of the city? Farm Raised does not necessarily mean no cruelty to animals.

3. Locally Raised: think about the carbon footprint of consuming foods, which means considering the amount of gasoline and energy used to transport an animal from the location where it is raised, to a certified slaughterhouse where it is killed and processed, to a store or farmer's market where you buy it, and the trip back to your house where you cook and eat it. Or, to the restaurant where you drive to and order it. Because most states have given up inspecting slaughter houses, this task has been assigned to Federal Inspection and all slaughtering has to be done by FDA approved and monitored slaughter houses that are far and few. Consider, for example, that if you live next to a farm that raises livestock, that animal has to be transported away to an FDA approved slaughterhouse, killed and processed, shipped back to a store where you can buy it. Think about how much energy is spent growing and moving that animal around so you can eat a piece of meat.

They call this the Local Consumption Dilemma, which means that while demand for meat exists in local markets and that local farmers aim to satisfy that demand, the processes in place to process, monitor and distribute that meat burns up a lot of energy, which adds to the cost and risk of consuming that meat.

4. Certified Grass Fed: this means that animals, especially cows and pork, are not fed corn as the primary component of their diets. Corn, as a filler, lacks the nutrition needed for these animals to properly grow and fight diseases such as the infamous Mad Cow, strains of Salmonella and other food infections and intoxications (see here to learn about the different between the two).

Corn fed animals that get sick, can pass on illness not only to humans who consume them, but strains of diseases can show up elsewhere, in other meat and non-meat foods such as spinach. Remember the people who died from eating spinach?

This is so because although illegal in Japan and Europe, in the U.S. and Canada it remains common to include the blood, bone, and unwanted flesh of all types of farmed animals in the feed of chickens, turkeys, and pigs. Of all the animal flesh and bone meal that is processed into food for farmed animals, almost half is fed to chickens and turkeys, 13 percent is fed to pigs, and 10 percent is fed to cows.

So, grass fed is a step in the right direction, but again not the whole of the story.

If you're like me, right about now you're shaking your head and wondering so what is there to do? Does the combination of organically grass fed cruelty free environmentally friendly minimally foot printed meat and dairy that are affordable even exist?

Now can you see the argument for a vegan diet? For me, moving away from eating meat and towards vegan is not a question of nutrition as it is about the process of clearing my conscious, reducing my personal foot print, contributing to social sustainability, and ultimately contributing to the eventual elimination of cruelty to animals.

Simply put, I don't want to eat the meat of animals that have been raised, killed and processed in a cruel fashion.

It's your choice. No one has the right to judge you and that's not what this is about. If you choose to eat meat, at least do the following:

1. visit your local farmer's market and get to know the people who sell meats and dairy products there. Ask them about their farm and where they get their inventory. Ask about how the animals are raised and treated on their farm. Be kind and listen to them. Ask if they are open to visitors to their farm (this could be a good indication if they are telling the truth). And if you feel comfortable with them, and only if you feel comfortable with them, patronize them and build a relationship with them to buy your meat and dairy products from them.

2. Look for Animal Welfare Approved labels on the products you purchase. In my research and opinion, this label is currently more important that certified organic and/or grass fed labels. Ideally, you would want all of these to exist together, but if you had to choose one, seek out the Animal Welfare Approved label.


3. Please, please, please avoid fast food chains at all cost. Every dollar you spend with these organizations is fuel for the continued cruelty to animals and validation that the current system of food production and processing is working (which is not). Most folks consider fast food to be the McDonald's, BurgerKing, Taco Bells of the world. Add to this list the franchised operated restaurants such as Friday's, Denny's, Soup Plantation, even some foods at Starbucks. A good rule of thumb is to avoid franchise chains. You're better off getting carrots and nuts at the market than eating a warm, nice tasting meal at franchise establishments.

Finally, I hope this information is helpful to you. My intent is not to fuel the fear engine, but rather to get you thinking and talking about food, nutrition and sustainability.

Keep the dialog open and continue reading, learning and researching on your own.

In health,

Kam