According to filmmaker Robert Kenner, many of America’s farms are being turned into factories, where workers abuse animals and ultimately spread bacteria through the country’s consumption of meat.
Kenner’s film “Food, Inc.,” which explores the unlawful practices of food and meat processing companies, was shown to about 50 UT students and community members yesterday in the Driscoll Alumni Center.
According to Kenner, at least 32,000 pigs are slaughtered each day at Smithfield Slaughterhouse in Tar Heel, North Carolina, where workers, many of whom are illegal immigrants, abuse the animals. In the film, Kenner said Smithfield has a deal with U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services to deport 15 workers a day.
Kenner said the average chicken farmer makes a little over $19,000 and it costs about $500,000 to operate two chicken farmhouses.
Kenner said many chicken farms have become “factories” that mass produce chickens using unsanitary means. According to the film, people should be aware of the spread of E. coli, which could be present in the beef they consume due to the diet of cows who are fed corn to fatten them up for consumption.
The corn, according to Kenner, can contain E. coli and the unsanitary conditions of processing plants and farms can cause the bacteria to be spread to the consumers.
Some students agree with Kenner that unlawful treatment of animals in processing plants is a problem that can affect the health of those who consume the meat.
Laura Kochendorfer, a sophomore majoring in early childhood education, said it is an important issue because people should be able to count on the safety of their food.
“I get sick a lot anyway. I don’t want to be getting sick from food also,” she said. “Everyone should know what’s going on around them so they are not ignorant. It’s important because everyone is eating food.”
Kochendorfer said even though knowing where your food comes from is an important issue, it’s not something that people often discuss.
Kaitlin Lewis, a junior majoring in nursing, said she feels bad for the workers who may be underpaid and abused, but it may not change her consumption habits.
According to Kenner, one in three children born after the year 2000 will get diabetes because of the ever-increasing amount of fast food consumed by Americans every day.
In the film, Kenner also said McDonalds is the largest ground beef buyer in the U.S. and people consume fast food more than home-cooked meals because fast food is cheaper and is a better deal for families who work all day and do not have time to make their own food.
“The number one thing to do is lower the price of organic and healthy food,” said Lindsey Vaughn, a sophomore majoring in law and social thought. “It makes me wonder why healthy food is more expensive than junk food. People wonder why Americans are obese. It’s more expensive to buy grapes than a cheeseburger.”
Students seemed to agree that unsanitary conditions during meat manufacturing and processing is a problem and said the biggest solution to avoiding consuming unhealthy food is awareness.
“On a scale of one to 10, it’s an 8.5, because it is important. The sanitary issue is more important than animal abuse though because the animals are going to die,” Vaughn said. “It’s important to be aware because it will prevent people from getting sick. People abuse employees all the time, but to me it’s not justifiable.”
independentcollegian.com
Source: newsroom - meattradenewsdaily.co.uk
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