Digital publication | Page 76

Plant-Based: The  Myths of the Food Industry

By Audrey N.

 

The food we eat can be the medicine that heals us or the poison that kills us.  From  the

beginning of  human  evolution,  it  has  provided remedies to satisfy our every need  and  is a

fundamental pillar of life. Therefore, upholding a healthy diet  is vital to  success and  inner

satisfaction.  However, in the 21st  century, lies outweigh the truth  tremendously,  blurring the

lines between  fact and fiction. In addition, we live in an era of GMO and chemical-laden

products  where  clean food is often costly and difficult to find.  Though it will not be easy, 

gaining  accurate  knowledge on nutrition  can undo the mistakes of the past,  create a fulfilling

present, and  prolong  our future. 

Behind Closed Doors

What do you picture when hearing the word ‘meat’? A tender slab of fillet mignon or  a

chicken wing crisped to perfection? While the  meats we all know and love  seem  like nothing

but  flavorful sources of  protein, much of their origins  remain a mystery.  Most  meats on  the

market source from commercially  raised animals. Factory farms confine them to  tightly 

packed  corridors,  the  optimal environment  for  illnesses to  spread. Additionally , animal

carcasses  scatter  around the keeping grounds  from lack of proper maintenance.  From aiding

in weight gain to  hindering the spread of  bacteria,  adding drugs to animal feed has become a 

quick and easy  solution.  However, while the producerscan find  immediate  satisfaction,  the

livestock and consumers  suffer.  Research  in this field is still lacking and we know little about the true ingredients in antibiotics.  Similar to how vaping  comes with ambiguity, consuming

animal meat  has become  a  game of Russian Roulette.  

After the livestock  are slaughtered,  producers ship the  remains  to a factory to  prepare  for

consumer  purchasing.  In other words, this is where  dead  cows  become  neatly packaged beef. 

Approximately 220 cows  go through inspection  within an hour, the equivalent  of  15 seconds

per cow. Therefore, most factory workers do not have the time to carefully examine 

individuals. Considering that  many  range from 1,600 to 2,400 pounds, there  are undoubtedly

blemishes they overlook.  Furthermore,  facility testing  confirms that  88% of pork chops,  90%

of ground beef, and 95% of chicken breast samples contain fecal bacteria  or  bacteria from

poop.  Livestock  also  develop pus infections  from poor  medical treatment. When  the

employees peel off the hide, the  discharge  leaks  through  an abscess, a collection of pus

within the tissue. If  it does not rupture immediately,  the  inspector makes an incision to drain

the  fluid.  Hence, if you buy meat products, they are likely to hold traces of manure and pus. 

Animal manufacturers keep  the secrets of the factory  behind closed doors, possibly from fear

of exposure.  But because of their failure to communicate, perfectly innocent people  who  eat

meat put  their futures  at risk.  And sadly, they do not even know it. 

Fact or Fiction? 

We all deserve to live long, meaningful lives. For the past year, our world has seen  death tolls

rising  like never before, devastation among  families, and an overall sense of hopelessness 

flourish.  However, our country has been dying for far longer than  a year. Only now  that  we 

have  been forced into isolation and deep self-evaluation, health has become a greater