Buying cheap meat sounds like a good deal at first, but it comes with a cost.
Some disturbing studies have found cheap meat is not always made up of what you think you're
buying.
So when it comes to meat, buying the expensive cut is always the best choice.
So why is meat so cheap?
How is it possible for a fast food chain to sell two hamburgers with drinks and sides
for five dollars?
Americans spend the least amount of money on food compared to other countries, so we
expect our food to be cheap.
The average American spends just 9.5 percent of his or her disposable income on food.
It seems the answer to cheap food lies in how the animals are kept and treated.
The rise of large factory farms has kept meat cheap, but at what cost?
Former US Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman told PBS we tend to take our food for granted
and don't pay much attention to how it ends up on our plates.
Large factory farms are efficient, but have their own problems, such as animal waste and
water quality.
Because the cows and other animals must be kept in close quarters, they can easily pass
bacteria to one another.
The World Cancer Research Fund has made a startling declaration:
“Often beloved meats, like sausage, bacon, ham, and hot dogs can cause certain types
of cancer.”
In addition, the International Agency for Research on Cancer — better known as the
IARC — concluded that cheap, processed meat is now officially a carcinogen, which means
it causes cancer.
The agency also labeled all red meat as a probable carcinogen.
Processed meat is a cheap alternative to more expensive cuts and includes hot dogs, deli
meat, bacon, sausage, and ham.
In the UK, 54 percent of bowel cancer cases are linked to lifestyle factors, and half
of those are from processed meat.
Eating these meats every day can increase risk for colorectal cancer by as much as 18
percent.
Factory farms don't sound like humane places to live, let alone be slaughtered.
Research has shown how cows are slaughtered actually affects the quality of the meat produced
from them.
According to slaughtering guidelines posted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations, the animal's muscles contain glycogen which is converted to lactic acid
after slaughter.
Having that lactic acid produces tender, flavorful meat.
When the animal becomes stressed before slaughter, they use up all their glycogen stores, which
means less lactic acid.
Of course, this means tough, bland meat, but it also raises some serious questions about
how we're treating these animals.
When you buy local, grass-fed beef, you're supporting farmers who care about the quality
and environment of their animals and meats.
Because these farmers raise fewer animals and spend more to take care of them, they
must charge more for their meat.
Putting in the time to find responsible and ethical farmers in your area is worth it.
Because it would be nearly impossible to keep a massive factory farm perfectly clean, there
are going to be infections floating around.
To prevent these infections, factory farmers feed the livestock small doses of antibiotics
to promote growth and keep infections at bay.
Actually feeding animals antibiotics can cause them to grow as much as 3 percent more, which
means more money when you sell that meat.
Because this level of antibiotic use isn't enough to actually kill off bacteria, these
farms are creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
This means that the antibiotics we've always relied on to cure our infections are now less
effective.
According to microbiologist Dr. Glenn Morris, these tiny doses of antibiotics can lead to
big health problems.
If you were to eat meat that was contaminated with this antibiotic-resistant bacteria and
become ill, your body might not respond to traditional antibiotics like it should.
According to U.S. News and World Report, traces of the antibiotics administered to animals
can be found in the meat we buy and consume, a danger that especially affects younger children.
A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports:
“Every year more than 2 million people in the United States get infections resistant
to antibiotics designed to fight them.”
This can be partially blamed on the decreasing effectiveness of the antibiotics given to
livestock and over-prescribed to people by doctors.
A majority of those infections directly affect children under the age of 5.
Cheap meat doesn't just mean a cruel environment for the animals.
Everyone's environment will suffer.
On traditional farms, animal waste can be used to fertilize crops.
In a large factory farm, there aren't enough crops to use up all that waste, so it has
to go somewhere.
The waste is shipped away and can end up leaking into waterways and lagoons.
In Iowa alone, the Department of Natural Resources found that 99 waterways were contaminated
enough to kill the fish.
According to Science magazine, the increasing demands for huge quantities of cheap meat
is a phenomenon that greatly affects the Earth's biodiversity.
“The greenies are saying raising beef contributes to global warming."
A 2014 Guardian report notes that while many people believe transportation vehicles contribute
most to pollution, the meat industry actually creates more greenhouse gas emissions than
all automobiles, planes, trains, and ships combined.
The cited study shows that 15 percent of emissions come from livestock, and most of that is traced
back to the beef and dairy industries.
The folks at PETA - the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — were pleased with
the findings.
“This report confirmed what PETA has been saying for years, that we are headed towards
environmental catastrophe if we don’t change the way we eat.”
So buying more expensive meats may be harder on your wallet, but it'll benefit you in just
about every other way imaginable.
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