From Farm Fresh to Petri Prepared

In chapter four, it is said that from colonial times to the 1950’s when it was overtaken by beef, pork was the major source of meat for Americans. Pioneers kept hogs as free-range animals that foraged for their food. Corn-fed pigs grew faster and bigger, so it was common practice to round up surplus hogs and corn-feed them in the weeks before they went to market (value is weight-based). In 1818, the first meatpacking plant in Cincinnati was opened and became the dominating entity in pork production until the civil war,

Every year, an average American will consume approximately one hundred-twenty six pounds of meat. This meat can be traced back to factory farms where the animals are kept to be tortured to turn into a product for the appetite of humans. The terrible treatment these animals are forced to endure is the outcome of the greed and want for a faster production of their product. The industry of factory farming works to maximize the output of the meat while maintaining low costs,but will sadly always comes at the animals’ expense.

"This is no fairy story and no joke; the meat will be shoveled into carts and the man who did the shoveling will not trouble to lift out a rat even when he saw one." (Sinclair “The Jungle”). When it comes to having safe and approved food, our esteemed nation does not have the greatest reputation. Ever since the use of slaughter houses and meat packing plants began, people have been getting severely ill and even dying

The world has a need for meat, and it is almost obsessive. Most cultures typically consume some sort of domesticated animal in agriculture. Whether it is cows, chicken, lamb, deer, turkey, or fish, many people are not educated to the fact that the alternative diets are better for their health. There are different animal products for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hundreds if not thousands of diverse chain restaurants dedicated to meat consumption.There are also many different holidays around the world such as Thanksgiving and Christmas where meat is consumed. With affordable prices and an acquired taste, it is likely to be a lifelong habit. There are vast miles of subsidized agricultural land dedicated to the cultivation of animals. According to Amir Khan, staff writer for U.S.News, reporting on the American Meat Institute, Americans consume, “57 pounds more meat than they were in the 1950s”(Khan).

The meat industry today is not what it was nearly a century ago. While improvements are thought to have been made, an ever changing society has brought upon new problems that have been piled on to the previously existing ones. While these problems are not like those found in The Jungle, they do parallel how by exposing what is going on in the meat industry; new regulations would be the answer to the noted problems. The increased demand for meat has made it a rushed mutated production instead of a means to raise livestock for consumers. Taking into consideration the demand for cheap meat that will be used for in quick and high demanded products such as frozen and fast food, this demand of meat has greatly skyrocketed. Animals whose sole

What is the price of cheap meat? Is the mistreatment of animals, immigrants, manipulation of local politics, and monopolizing industry really something that people want to support just so they can purchase meat cheaper and in larger quantities? Ted Genoways book The Chain: Farm, Factory, and the Fate of Our Food dives into the meat packing industry, specifically Hormel and the Quality Pork Processors Inc. He investigates how the factory is run, how the employees are exploited and mistreated, the abuse of the hogs that are used for the meat, and the overall disgust that stems from the industry. Big business has always had a reputation for being shady and always looking for new ways to manipulate rules and regulations in order for them to maximize

In spite of increasing data which points towards the unsustainability of our meat industry, a report called the “Factory Farm Nation,” published by the Food and Water Watch, indicates that the U.S. meat industry has continued to grow over the last decade.

Meat is one of the most basic building blocks of human life. We have relied on meat in one way or another virtually since the dawn of time. Humans as a whole have become almost dependent on the constant and readily available supply of meat, in some way or another. Yet, what our over consumption of animal meat has done to the meat market is unacceptable, to say the least. Industrialized meat has left such a stain on the environment, human health, and the overall well-being of the animals we consume. In the article, “Tenderloin’s a Steal, But At What Moral Price?” by John Kessler, the question of whether or not to buy the industrially raised tenderloin or spend a few extra bucks on the sustainably raised tenderloin comes up. To lessen the

We’ve all heard environmentalists explain what global warming is, why it’s dangerous, and what we can do to stop it. People protest against auto emissions and fossil fuel daily. “ But the one industry that produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUV’s, cars, ships, planes, and trucks in the world combined, has carefully avoided scrutiny” (Goveg.com). Often overlooked in environmental destruction is the meat industry. This industry has a major source of deforestation, wasted natural resources, and pollution. As consumers we expect our food to be safe, but Americans should pay more attention and fear what may affect our environment in the future.

Research and studies on synthetic meat reveal that is proper and necessary in order to maintain the supply and demand required for the expanding population. While some might say that it is morally incorrect it is what will save the world from becoming extinct. As of today, in-vitro meat is only an idea for the future. Scientists are beginning to research synthetic meat more because of the rising amount of controversy

Since this technology is fairly new and is undergoing development, it has not reached the hands of consumers as yet. Dr. Post plans on having a public display of taste testing the hamburger. He has already tried the meat in his lab and claimed that without any fat, the tissue “tastes reasonably good”. There are questions regarding safety and costs, however, whether this meat could affect our organs and make them weaker or indirectly harm in a way like alter DNA as red meat does, and whether this technology can improve enough to make the costs go down to produce in-vitro meat. One last concern is whether more than one square centimeter of muscle meat can

Cloned meat has been founded on December 28 2006, the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) gave preliminary approval for meat and dairy products from cloned animals to be sold as food for human consumption. They also stated that labeling of cloned food would not be required because of the approval of the FDA. When they stated that cloned meat didn’t require labeling for their food products, which automatically brought up a red flag because people should have the right to know whether or not they’re eating cloned offspring or home grown meat. How would that make you feel; what would your reaction be? Well let me tell you; you might feel disgusted, clueless, or confused, because you wouldn’t have any idea of what

When most people think about a juicy, flavor filled hamburger – the warm buns, melted cheese; ice cold lettuce and tomato; sweet pickle; and the perfect, equal amounts of both ketchup and mustard – they are likely reminded of grilling outside at a BBQ or grabbing a bite to eat at famous burger shops like Fuddruckers or Five Guys. However, the idea of the “All American Hamburger” has been changed in the eyes of some scientists and those who prefer not to eat meat. Researchers and developers have come up with a way to grow lab-cultured meat by vitro methods. This method of producing meat has raised concerns and has been a growing topic of discussion based of the unnaturalness and potential health risks

In my opinion, the idea of meat and leather bio fabrication is great. I believe that it is the future because the rates of animals being killed are very high and still growing. The issues it brings are already apparent and it will only become worse if nothing will be changed. I think that bio fabricated meat and leather would be a good start to at least reduce the amounts of animals killed. However, I think that the greatest challenge that bio fabrication will face will be to convince people that bio fabricated meat is equivalent to real meat. Andras Forgacs mentioned this in his presentation by stating that people think that bio fabricated products are artificial as they are grown in laboratories. I think that it is hard to find any kind

The mass production of meat products is one of the most consumed products in our