[align=center]Is Meat Fit For Human Consumption?[/align]
[align=center]By Me[/align]
Methods and sources
There were a variety of primary sources that were looked at, mainly newspaper reports that were available over the internet. Other secondary sources that were used were from a variety of books and some religious books.
Introduction
This report will discuss whether or not meat is fit for human consumption. It will start by looking at how health has been widely affected today by the increase of diseases in the meat and farming industry due to climate change, and feed . The health of many people’s lives have been put at risk by the distributors of meat. There are many issues surrounding the consumption of meat that are not known to the members of the public. This report will look at a number of newspaper reports and will also look at what members of the medical profession have to say about meat and its effects on medical services. It will look at the positives and negatives of eating and not eating meat. It will also look at meat in relation to its diseases from a biblical perspective, and what kind of diet is best for us.
Discussion and Findings
Pollution has had devastating affects not only on the environment, but has effected the livestock and meat people eat. As climate changes occur, the spread of diseases will become more rampant with devastating effects and little control methods to stop them. There are many different diseases which are vastly increasing in animal foods. These range from fish to pork and are largely affected by pollution and the ill treatment of animals. These views are supported by White:
“Flesh was never the best food; but its use now doubly objectionable, since disease in animals is so rapidly increasing. Those who use flesh foods little know what they are eating. Often if they could see the animals when living and know the quality of the meat they eat. They would turn from it with loathing. People are continually eating flesh that is filled with tuberculosis and cancerous germs. Tuberculosis, cancer, and other fatal diseases are thus communicated� (White, 1994 p. 311-312)
Humans are not carnivores, we are naturally herbivores, we are not configured to eat meat, neither are cows and sheep. But many farmers have been giving there animals meat to eat which causes complications in their health. Up to 1997 there was no standard in feed in the America. In August of 1997, the FDA instituted a compulsory ban so that farmers are no longer allowed to use protein from cows, sheep, and goats in cattle feed. This is one of the many reasons why there are so many diseases in meat and why it is unsafe; some feed manufacturers are encouraged to include blood, gelatine, and tallow from pigs and horses. Other sources include restaurant waste and supermarket returns. By feeding these animals the blood and gelatine of other animals which potentially have diseases, this could increase the spread and number of diseases in animals. Another disturbing practice which is common and widely used in this industry is to use composted chicken manure as cattle feed for non-grazing cattle.
(
http://www.jamiat.org.za/halaal/douknow.html)
If you cut into the flesh of a dead pig, clean off the blood and look at it through a powerful microscope you’ll see that the flesh is crawling with parasites. Some of these parasites aren’t even destroyed after they have been thoroughly cooked under intense heat. One of the these parasites is the Trichina worm which travels through the blood stream. These worms can lay thousands of baby worms which berry themselves inside the intestinal wall. These worms attack the parts of the body with the greatest blood supply such as the muscles. They remain alive through the entire life of the organism it is contained in. (Diseases in Food Animals. p.6)
It is possible that millions of people have been infected by BSE and may not even know it. This potentially could have devastating effects on our society in the next 15 years when the symptoms of these diseases begin to show. Millions of burgers and other meat products carrying BSE material from other cattle. “Large amounts of minced beef also included some of the 5,000 tonnes a year of mechanically recovered meat (MRM), machined off the ribs and vertebral columns of carcasses, that went into food during the crisis…� (
http://www.guardian.co.uk/bse/article.html)
Yes there are many advantages to eating meat but do these advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
It is well known that meat can strengthen the immune system, improve the nutritional quality and is some what beneficial for everyday health, energy and can optimise academic performance.(
http://www.healthyweightnetwork.com/zart6.htm)
For some, meat is an important part of a balanced diet, it is a great source of protein vitamins, iron and minerals. It is in a nutrient-dense form which means you only need a small amount of it to benefit from its nutrients. Good lean meat will not do you any harm. Eating small amounts of meat will not kill you, but there is no reason really to eat meat if you have a decent vegetarian diet.
Meat is an important and good source of iron, which is vital for making red blood cells. Although many foods contain iron, the body absorbs it easily from meat.
(
http://www.discoveryhealth.co.uk/naturalhealth/nh_story.asp)
“The red meat contains very high quantities of iron, when compared with plant origin foods. 100 grams of Liver contains 6000 mcgm of iron as against 325 mcgm in 100-gram carrots.The phosphorus content present in meat gets much more easily absorbed than that present in cereals and legumes. This is owing to the fact that cereals and legumes contain phosphorus, usually in the form of phytic acid that must be hydrolyzed before absorption. Meat also serves as the main source for the intake of vitamin B12�
(
http://www.iloveindia.com/nutrition/recipes/non-veg-dishes/goodness-of-meat.html)
From the bibles perspective meat was never made for human consumption, it was never Gods plan to eat such food. From this text taken from Genesis the diet which was given to Adam, Eve and animals to live a diet of a fruitarian. A fruitarian lives on strictly raw fruit, seeds, nuts and grains.
“28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.� (Holy Bible. Genesis 1:28,29 (KJV))
The introduction of meat and vegetables were only given after the flood as there was little fruit, seeds, grains and nuts at the time. Vegetables and meat were the only sources of nutrition and nourishment. In that era there was no pollution at all, animals were kept under natural conditions and were vegetarians.
“3Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.�
(Holy Bible. Genesis 9.3,4 (KJV))
The conditions of eating meat were on the type of animals as those that didn’t meet the necessary requirements were not fit for eating. They were not fit for eating because they were scavengers they were their to clean the earth of dead, rotting flesh and food that was not fit for human consumption.
“7Nevertheless these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the cloven hoof; as the camel, and the hare, and the coney: for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.
8And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.�
(Holy Bible. Deuteronomy 14:7,8 (KJV))
God gave strict and specific instructions on what animals mankind should eat and how it should be prepared. The blood was to be drained thoroughly from the animal and then boiled. It is a well known fact that blood is the substance that carries diseases.
Looking at the first chapter of Daniel it explains how Daniel was captured by king Nebuchadnezzar for training. They were to be treated like royalty and given the kings wine and meat. Daniel refused the kings food and maintained a vegan style diet which consisted of fruit, grain, vegetables and water.
“15And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.�
(Holy Bible. Daniel 1:15 (KJV))
The kings meat was animal foods and was believed to be pork and meats that God forbid to eat.
God has given the freedom of choice in all things. He has laid out a guide of what we should and should not eat when it comes to certain animal foods. It is personal choice who decides to follow these guidelines of healthy living. The guidelines are there for our own benefit.
The flavour in meat comes from the blood and urine from the animal you eat. If you follow the biblical instruction and drain all the blood and boil the meat you will see that the meat has no flavour at all. This is a very long process and it was done in such a way that after the red meat was put through this process it would come out white due to all the blood been removed. It is a sin to eat meat with blood in it as the blood is the life force and is the substance that carries diseases.
There have been a lot of talks in the press about CJD and BSE as many people who have donated blood were unknowingly carrying the diseases. People have contracted these diseases through blood transfusions as a third person has been infected.
“The patient developed symptoms of variant CJD about eight years after receiving blood from a donor who went on to develop the disease 20 months later.
Fewer than 30 people still alive are known to have received blood from someone who went on to have vCJD. One other recipient of donated blood died from vCJD in 2003; the other died from other causes, with evidence of vCJD only identified after a post-mortem.� (
http://www.guardian.co.uk/bse/article/html)
Who knows what number of people who have been infected with these diseases the amount is almost impossible to predict. As the incubation period for CJD is believed to be around 15 years. The disease causes gradual dementia and is fatal in most cases, there is no cure.
It was once said that if all the diseased animals were to be slaughtered and not used for food, the price of meat would be so high the public would no longer be able to afford it.
Some of the diseases that are found in carcasses but are still passed for food consumption are; Epitheliomas (eye cancer), abscesses or pyemia (pus cells in the blood) and pneumonia. All together there are around fifty different diseases which are passed for food after the removal of the diseased parts. When some of these diseases are found in humans they are sent to the hospital for medical attention. When found in meat the diseased part is cut off and the rest is fit for human food consumption. (Diseases in Food Animals p.4)
Bird flu has been in the media a lot in recent times as the H5N1 virus begins to spread. So what is this virus that has been taking the lives of so many people?
Bird flu or Avian flu, is a contagious
disease in animals. It is caused by a virus loosely related to human flu. All bird species and in some cases pigs are thought to be vulnerable to the disease, domestic poultry flocks are especially vulnerable to infection. Bird flu was first recognised in Italy there have been many strains of the virus. Some are almost harmless, while others are fatal. The H5N1 form of bird flu is the most lethal. It is highly dangerous mortality is almost 100%. (
http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story.html)
It is now known discovered that bird flu is now able to pass from human to human through close contact. Experts say a pandemic will become potentially hazardous when the H5N1 virus becomes easily transferred between humans.
(
http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story.html)
Recommendations
Due to the fact that the animals are in such a bad state for human foods there is also a large amount of evidence that their products are unfit for human consumption too such as eggs and milk. Therefore the best lifestyle to live is that of a fruitarian or vegan diet. All the nutrition and protein in meats can be found in other sources such as nuts, and plant based vegetables. If humans are going to eat meat and animal products they should do it in moderation and take care in choosing the kind of meat you such as free range, wild, or organic. Everyone has a freedom of choice in what they choose and not choose to eat but some will have to suffer the consequences of their actions through ill health.
Conclusion
The report looks at what the environment and peoples ill treatment to animals has done to the meat industry. It looks at what kind of food farmers feed their cattle and at the parasites that live in certain kinds of meat. The report briefly looked into some of the positives of eating meat. It also looked into what the bible says about meat especially because it is still relevant for today as it was thousands of years ago. There are also some information about what types of diseases are in meat and what possible infections can be found in meat which is passed for food consumption. It gives some information about what kind of diet is best for humans.
Bibliography
Atchan, H. & Walters, L. (2001)
do Muslims know what they are eating? [Internet]. Available from: <
http://www.jamiat.org.za/halaal/douknow.html> [Accessed 17 May 2006]
Boseley, S. (2006)
WHO alarmed at bird flu cases in Indonesia. [Internet]. Available from:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story.html [Accessed 29 May 2006]
Meikle, J. (2002)
BSE meat 'went into millions of burgers'. [Internet]. Available from: <
http://www.guardian.co.uk/bse/article.html> [Accessed 24 May 2006].
Meikle, J (2006)
Third patient contracts vCJD from transfusion. [Internet]. Availble from: <
http://www.guardian.co.uk/bse/article/html> [Accessed 17 May 2006]
Oppenheim, R. (2003)
Meat: a healthy option?. [Internet]. Available from: <
http://www.discoveryhealth.co.uk/naturalhealth/nh_story.asp> [Accessed 17 May 2006]
Sturcke, J & Batty, D. (2006)
Q&A: Bird flu. [Internet]. Available from:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story.html [Accessed 25 May 2006]
Diseases in Food Animals (anon)
The Holy Bible. London an Glasgow, William Collins & company LTD.
White, E. G. (1994) The Ministry of Healing. Lincolnshire, Stanborough Press Limited
Appendices
Diseases in Food Animals
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