The 2012 article “USDA to Let Industry Self-Inspect Chicken” by Jim Avila for ACB News. Reporter Avila reports that the government is proposing a change of the way that chicken makes in American. Report says companies throughout the United States are being inspected by the government on how the workers are processing meats in a line of factory. The government is evaluating the system for safety chickens production. Avila says that “Inspectors opposed to the new USDA rule say the companies cannot be trusted to watch over themselves. They contend that companies routinely pressure their employees not to stop the line or slow it down, making thorough inspection for contaminants, tumors and evidence of disease nearly impossible.” This article …show more content…
According to Hanson, the USDA states that “fewer than 6% of organic birds were infected with salmonella, compared with almost 39% of conventional ones.” The article was brief but the source is relevant. I will use this article to help describe the difference of organic chickens and process chickens and how USDA regulates organic labels.
This source is a 2014 article “The High Cost of Cheap Chicken” by the CR Investigates Consumers Union. The CR Investigator reports the issues of the United State poultry companies’ regulations and health safety in packaged chickens. The article states the major’s issue on bacterial contamination of packaged chickens and the issue of antibiotic-resistant bacteria of organic chicken. The CR Investigator reports that “48 million people fall sick every year from eating food tainted with salmonella, campylobacter, E-Coli, and other contaminants.” This scholarly article reports details and reliable source from USDA and a professor of University of Minnesota. I will use this article to help me support the major issue of packaged chicken and organic chicken.
This source is a 2011 article by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of National Organic Program. The National Organic describes what the term of organic labeling means and the method to produce organic foods. Also, it further states the regulations and production
Throughout the Perdue farms across the country, there has been evidence of overcrowding and unethical treatment to the chickens kept in the barns. This past December, footage of workers stomping on the necks of chickens in a North Carolina Perdue chicken farm was released by Mercy for Animals, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing animal cruelty in the food industry (“Watch”). With the introduction of this video, the organization stated that the only direct solution to this problem is to become vegetarian, but I refuse to believe that that is the only option. I am personally concerned with what foods and chemicals I am putting into my body, and it makes me uncomfortable knowing that I am consuming chicken that has been covered in
Before the passage of the Federal Meat Inspection Act, meat processing plants and slaughterhouses were very unsanitary and dangerous places to work. There had been previous meat inspection acts, such as the Meat Inspection Act of 1890, but they were largely ineffective as they did not successfully regulate the industry (Rouse). Therefore, even if a person
With the organic industry booming and up until recently showing an annual growth rate of 20% it has been necessary for the federal government to step in and regulate the previously self regulated industry. Initially, regulation of this industry was implemented by private nonprofit organizations and some state governments as a way to put an end to consumer fraud and to ensure the integrity of organic food. This
The Meat Inspection Act of 1906 was an attempt to regulate the meatpacking industry and to assure consumers that the meat they were eating was safe. In brief, this act made compulsory the careful inspection of meat before its consummation, established sanitary standards for slaughterhouses and processing plants, and required continuous U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection of meat processing and packaging. Yet, the most important objectives set by the law are the prevention of adulterated or misbranded livestock and products from being commercialized and sold as food, and the making sure that meat and all its products are processed and prepared in the adequate sanitary and hygienic conditions (Reeves 35). Imported meat and its various
Conditions at America’s meatpacking plants have become more dangerous in part due to the federal government lack of enforcing health and safety laws. During the
A wide variety of reliable and peer reviewed studies performed by other researchers were included in this evaluation, as well as several of these researchers’ own studies, providing a stronger basis for the results. These studies varied on what particular aspects of organic foods or health benefits were being observed (quality of meat, eczema, etc.) as well as the demographics observed (pregnant women, nonpregnant adults, children), an approach which offers a broad view of the topic. Out of all the qualities and benefits of organic foods observed in these studies, only less exposure to pesticide residue and antibiotic resistant bacteria were statistically significant. The quality of meats were not remarkably different; similar rates of contamination due to Salmonella and Campylobacter suggested similar quality. Furthermore, unfavorable aspects of organic food production were also mentioned by several of the studies included in the evaluation. These ranged from increased amount of E. coli in organic fertilizer and actual produce to risk of Campylobacter infection due to winter consumption of organic meat (Smith-Spangler et al, 2012). The results of these studies indicate that health benefits of organic foods are not remarkably significant, an implication that is imperative as
It’s problematic that we don’t question the food we eat whether it be from McDonalds or a fancy upscale restaurant. We need to be more aware of what is going on around us especially when the food we eat is causing an array of health issues for us. The unsanitary conditions found within the factory farm industry contributes to the pathogens found in the meat we eat. As the saying goes you get what you pay for. Factory farming is based upon producing large quantities of meat at a very low cost. This driving force behind the system is not worth getting food poising or something detrimental. In the chapter “Influence / Speechlessness” the habitats of the chickens are displayed “jamming deformed, drugged,
America’s meat industry hides from the consumer, according to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The consumer, as well as corporations, have built walls instead of demanding transparency. Journalists and the general public are not permitted to enter abattoirs of many corporations, leaving the judgement of slaughtering methods to the businesses themselves. State and federal regulations aren’t always enforced, thus corporations decide what is ‘humane’. Profit organisations find the most efficient and lucrative system, yet ignore the secondary costs to natural systems. Pollan argues that in preventing abuse, only transparency holds businesses accountable to regulations. He states in Omnivore’s Dilemma, ‘No other country raises and slaughters its food animals quite as intensively or as brutally as we do’. Many Americans would disagree because they are ignorant of the system. We have chosen not to see what really happens to the animals we eat, understandably, due to the unpleasant truths Pollan uncovers. As a summary, slaughterhouses kill a steer by stunning it, hanging it upside down by its leg and bleeding it out by cutting its throat. However, (according to McDonald’s) they accept a five percent error rate, meaning when the first ‘stunning’ does not kill the animal, the steer continues along the conveyor belt for processing. Animal rights group’s accounts have revealed that live animals have been skinned alive and go through immense suffering. Despite the
In the article Backyard Chickens Carry Hidden Salmonella by Aneri Pattani. She explains why 900 people are infected with salmonella and the chickens are not the culprits of this disease. The normal issue with contracting Salmonella is normally eating raw cookie dough or undercooked eggs or meat. But it can also be contract when people put objects that came in contact with their live poultry, or when they deal with their live poultry and touch their mouth. Dr Nicholas says “ this doesn't mean people are not supposed to have Backyard chicken, but it is very important to wash your hands and make sure you have separate clothes for when you're dealing with live poultry”. She advised to not let your outside birds live with you in your house and avoid
Many people fail to realize and educate themselves on how their food is prepared. When thinking about our packaged foods we rarely think of the cruel and inhumane death that followed it. Birds are crammed into disgusting windowless sheds for weeks to live in their own waste and harmful fumes. An investigation on Tyson foods by PETA found that chickens that were raised for flesh (called broilers) were jam packed into sheds which leads to outbreak of disease. These birds often go untreated and are sent to slaughter for human consumption anyway. They are bred to grow so big and quickly that their limbs and organs can’t keep up. This causes organ failure, heat attacks, and crippling deformities. These side effects can lead to starvation because they are not physically able to move and reach food and water.
People today believe that the government is supposed to eliminate any possible danger from the food they consume, but that is not the case. In the book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of The All-American Meal written by Eric Schlosser, he discusses numerous problems with food production. Some of these issues are discussed in the “Epilogue”, “What’s In Meat”, and “Most Dangerous Job” chapters where Schlosser elaborates on the government’s role and how workers are mistreated. In the article, “U.S. Meatpacking Under Fire: Human Rights Group Calls for Line Speed Reduction, ERGO Standards,” it explains how the working conditions in the meat packaging industry are hazardous and are violations of basic human rights. Although workers are affected by the government’s role in the food industry, consumers are affected as well. The consequences of the lack of governmental oversight, like food contamination and others, are discussed in the film Food Inc. “Escaping the Regulatory Net: Why Regulatory Reform Can Fail Consumers”, an academic journal written by Henry Rothstein, explains how “putting consumers first” is difficult for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to accomplish because with consumer’s interests that means regulatory reforms are most likely going to fail.
1) What are the roles of the USDA FSIS and FDA in Chicken regulation? How are those carried out?
Contaminated poultry is a big concern to society as it poses a serious risk for human health. An estimated 4 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths per year (based on information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture) due to contaminated poultry. This scare has caused all poultry to be vaccinated to prevent harmful pathogens to reach and infect humans.
According to the USDA, organic foods consist of foods and products that are grown without the use of sewage sludge, harmful pesticides, and fertilizers made from synthetic ingredients. These standards and guidelines were implemented with the overall objective of improving the quality of the food supply while also preserving the environment. The Organic Foods Act (OFPA) “authorized a new USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to set national standards for the production, handling, and processing of organically grown agricultural products. In addition, the Program oversees mandatory certification of organic production.” (Gold “Organic Production/Organic Food:”) When these standards are upheld, consumers are given the opportunity to educate themselves on the contents found in their food, which
The word Organic can be defined in multiple ways but what the word basically means that the product is derived from living matter. Organic farming produces organic food. The goal is to encourage soil and water conservation, reduce pollution, and constrain conventional methods to fertilize and control weeds. According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration “The term "organic" is not defined by law or regulations FDA enforces.”