Is it safe?

Ever heard of Mad Cow Disease, E. Coli, or salmonella? All these diseases are foodborne bacteria that come from many of the animals we consume on a regular basis (CDC, http://www.cdc.gov/ncezid/dfwed/edeb/index.html). These diseases enter our bodies through our mouth and intestinal track causing diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. These bacterias thrive in feces, vomit, and certain foods farm animals are fed. There are hundreds of laws created by the USDA against feeding animals certain foods (USDA Food Laws), but in Fast Food Nation, Schlosser states the USDA only visits most large companies once every ten years.

These “certain” foods contain chopped up parts from other dead animals such as, dogs, cows, cats, and sheep that could be contaminated with these infectious diseases. In the United States, about seventy-five percent of cows are feed other animal’s waste or parts (Fast Food Nation, 202). The modern day farming techniques contain large feedlots, but they are overcrowded with cows, pigs, or chickens. Since the feedlots are overcrowded the animals do not get any exercise and live in their own waste. These companies still think they can serve animals dirty food and water and have no negative affects from it. While they would never feed that to themselves, in actuality that is exactly what they are doing. When you feed animals dirty or contaminated food, and it is time to slaughter them and send them to the grocery store the only meat people will have to consume is contaminated meat. The spreading of bacteria does not magically stop in the feedlots, but it follows the animals into the slaughterhouse and into the meat grinders. It is an atrocious cycle and harmful to both humans and animals (Fast Food Nation, 201-203).

There have been three cases of Mad Cow Disease in the United States, and from those three cases old, worn out, “downer” cows were the only cows contaminated (CDC, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/bse/). These are generally dairy cows that are no longer producing enough milk for the company so they are slaughtered. The stress from industrial milk production causes these cows to be some of the unhealthiest and most bacteria riddled. One fourth of the ground beef made in the United States comes from these unhealthy dairy cows (Fast Food Nation, 204).