What Did Food Inc Teach us About the Meat We Eat?

• Growth Hormones- Farms that mass produce cattle and chicken, especially, induce animals with growth hormones in order to make them bigger and faster-thus increasing profit• Ex. Chickens are being raised in half the time they were in 1950s (49 days vs. 3 months), but even

in half the time they are ending up twice as big (thanks to growth hormones, among other things)• Antibiotics – Animals get sick living in poor and stressful conditions. A stressed out

animal leads to a sick animal so a lot of antibiotics is needed to keep them alive. • Corn- Animals haven’t evolved on Corn. It’s not part of their regular diet. They don’t

digest it well and it bloats them up, making them bigger ($$$). Grass-fed and most of the time Free-Range animals are healthier.

Corn and Cows• Corn is cheap (and also helps make the chickens fat quickly) so it has

allowed us to drive down the price of meat – over 200lbs of meat per person per year would not be possible without this diet of cheap grain• You start feeding corn to cows, E. Coli evolves and a certain mutation

occurs which is very harmful• Animals at factory farms stand ankle deep in their manure all day long so if one

cow has E. Coli others can get it too• At a slaughter house their hides are caked with manure and if you are

slaughtering 400 cows per hour how do you keep it from spreading?

Chicken• A Tyson Chicken farmer says the chickens never even see

sunlight – they are kept day and night in chicken houses with no windows• When chickens (with the help of growth hormones) grow from

a baby chic to a 5.5 lb chicken in 7 weeks the bones can’t keep up with growth – which means some can’t handle weight that they are carrying so when they try to take a few steps they fall down

Pork

• Those who work for a Smithfield hog processing plant say the company has the same mentality towards workers as they do the hogs• They slaughter 32,000 hogs per day (2,000 hogs an hour) and

employees get infections from handling the guts so much• Meat packing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the US and

it is done by a lot of illegal immigrants

The Government’s Role

• t is also against the law to criticize the food industry’s foods – thanks to the “Veggie Libel Laws”• The food industry has different protections than other

industries (remember how Oprah was sued after saying she won’t eat another burger)

Oprah’s Case• In 1998, television talk-show host Oprah Winfrey and one of her guests, Howard Lyman, were

involved in a lawsuit surrounding the Texas version of a food libel law known as the False Disparagement of Perishable Food Products Act of 1995, for a 1996 episode of her show in which the two made disparaging comments about beef in relation to the mad cow scare. Although they were not the first people to be sued using this type of legal action, this case created a media sensation and is the example most people associate with food libel litigation.

• In a normal U.S. libel suit, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant is deliberately and knowingly spreading false information. Under the Texas food disparagement law under which Winfrey and Lyman were sued, the plaintiffs — in this case, beef feedlot operator Paul Engler and the company Cactus Feeders — had to convince the jury that Lyman's statements on Winfrey's show were not "based on reasonable and reliable scientific inquiry, facts, or data."[4]

 As a basis for the damages sought in the lawsuit, the plaintiffs noted that cattle futures dropped 10 percent the day after the episode, and that beef prices fell from 62 cents to 55 cents per pound.[5] Engler's attorneys argued that the rancher lost $6.7 million, and the plaintiffs sought to recoup total losses of more than $12 million.[6]

• The jury in the case found that the statements by Winfrey and Lyman did not constitute libel against the cattlemen.[7] However, Winfrey no longer speaks publicly on the issue, going so far as to decline to make videotapes of the original interview available to enquiring journalists

Some Rules Worth Following…

•  Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.• This should go without saying. Such cereals are highly processed and full of refined

carbohydrates as well as chemical additives.• Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored.• For many of us, eating has surprisingly little to do with hunger. We eat out of

boredom, for entertainment, to comfort or reward ourselves. Try to be aware of why you're eating, and ask yourself if you're really hungry — before you eat and then again along the way. (One old wive's test: If you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you're not hungry.) Food is a costly antidepressan

What can we do?• The average consumer does not feel very powerful and it is the exact opposite

because when we buy our food we are voting for local or not or organic or not• Individual consumers changed the biggest retailer’s milk options to now offer

organic (Wal-Mart• The food industry will deliver to the marketplace what the marketplace

demands – so if we demand good wholesome food we will get it• We also need changes at the policy level so carrots are more affordable than

chips• Choose foods that are in season, local, organic and read the labels when you go

to the grocery store (which is what this blog is all about!)• Cook a meal with your family and eat together…everyone has a right to healthy

food• You can vote to change the system 3 times a day• You can change the world with every bite

What Can I do Right Now, Right Here, In Winnipeg, Manitoba?

• Find local Free-Range, Antibiotic-Free, Hormone-Free, Corn-Free, Beef/Chicken etc.• http://www.eatwild.com/

• Shop at your local Farmers Market• Buy Organic when possible…see next slide for which foods to

especially buy organic

The Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen

• The clean 15 and the dirty dozen refer respectively to the fruits and vegetables that are the most and least contaminated by pesticide use, according to the Environmental Working Group.

• Why do we care?Pesticides are toxic by design! Different pesticides have been linked to a variety of health problems, including hormone disruption, cancer and brain toxicity.• But for most people, switching to organic produce is a gradual

process. Because organic foods tend to be more expensive than their counterparts, making informed choices in the produce aisle helps minimize pesticide consumption while keeping the budget in check!

• Should you avoid the dirty dozen?Absolutely not! Fresh fruits and vegetables are always a healthier choice than processed foods. Besides, non-organic processed foods are sure to contain a slough of chemicals too! Instead, let the guide dictate your allocation of organic vs. non-organic purchases.

• Why eat organic food?All of this opens up a bigger discussion about the choice to eat organic food — and the reasons that not everyone does. Often, the decision comes down to bottom line.

Non-organic foods usually cost less money. But there are other costs — hidden costs — that have to be considered too. These include abstract factors like the cost of demanding more from the earth than it can produce and the long-term health costs associated with ingesting chemicals. • There are also ways to offset the increased out-of-pocket expenses incurred by

prioritizing organic foods.• Committing to cooking whole foods from scratch — alongside careful meal planning,

home gardening and food preservation — can largely counteract the cost of organic food purchases.• The process is gradual. Change takes time. And all of us have to work within our

budgets.• Which is where the dirty dozen and the clean 15 come into play. The list is a

resource to help you make the best choices for your health and for the earth, whatever your current budget or state of greenness

The Clean 15 (in order of least contamination)

• OnionsSweet CornPineapplesAvocadoCabbageSweet peasAsparagusMangoesEggplantKiwiCantaloupeSweet potatoesGrapefruitWatermelonMushrooms

The Dirty Dozen (in order of contamination)

• ApplesCelerySweet bell peppersPeachesStrawberriesNectarinesGrapesSpinachLettuceCucumbersBlueberriesPotatoe