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the meat - and reduce the processor's
costs or increase his profits.
Sorne processors now inject enzyme
tenderizers such as papain into the ani–
mal prior to slaughter. We are told that
this "on the hoof" tenderizing is abso–
lutely safe. Yet the enzyme causes such
rapid and extensive cellular break–
clown that interna! bleeding can cause
the animal to die if it is not slaughtered
within 30 minutes.
.Many additives are used strictly for
profit. Moisture-retaining phosphates to
make comed beef hold extra water and
thus weigh more. Paprika to make ham–
burger appear deceptively rosy for up to
two weeks. Sodium nitrate to make
ham, bacon, corned beef, bologna,
frankfurters and other cured meats
red.
Sorne of these additives are harmless,
though deceptive. Others, such as
sodium nitrate, can be decidedly harm–
ful - and even fatal in sufficient
amounts.
And then there is the matter of
"extenders." Today "edible offal"
includes practically anything that "falls
off" including head, feet, hide, intes–
tines, liver, kidneys, lungs, blood, stom–
ach, bones, etc. Most states allow 30
percent fat plus this "edible offal" to
contribute to luncheon meats, frank–
furters, hamburger, chicken pie, saus–
ages, soup stock, etc. Is it only a joke
that processors use "everything but the
squeal"?
Well, where does all this leave you?
What can
YOU
do about the meat
YOU
eat?
What You Can Do
Most certainly we are not going to
advocate that you stop eating meat.
Other produce has pollution, too. Yolt
can't stop eating. But you can make an
effort to obtain meat that is of higher
quality.
The ideal, of course, would be to live
in a rural area and produce your own
meat. Sorne people do. However, there
are others who could but don't.
Next best thing would be to purchase
meat that is more likely to be less pol–
luted. In sorne areas a few producers
specialize in providing additive-free
meat. An ad in a newspaper or a sign
by their property might read: "Natu–
rally Produced," "Chemical Free,"
"Organically Grown," or something
The
PLAIN TRUTH
similar. Also, many small operators are
less likely to include most additives and
can be more easily checked.
When meat purchases must be made
at regular meat markets,
be selective.
Especially be selective when considering
those meats likely to contain the most
additives - luncheon meats, frankfur–
ters, sausages, etc.
For protection against meat-borne
disease, proper storage, quick processing
and freezing, plus proper cooking are
the best safeguards.
Al! this is good and well, but it is
by no means the
complete
solution to
the problem, as you can undoubtedly
sec.
The Ideal Solution
EveJy problem
is
a:
matter of cause
and effect. The only
REAL
solution to
the meat problem is to correct the
CAUSE.
This means that ideally the soil should
first of all be built up according to the
natural principies. Ferti le soil will pro–
duce good feed which can naturally
supply animals wíth the nutrients they
need to grow and be healthy.
When plants are carefully grown on
rich soil and then properly barvested,
stored and fed to animals, all kinds of
special feeds and additives are unneces–
sary. Mr. O. E. Olson of the South
Dakota Agricultura! Experiment Statioo
said: "There is no substitute for proper
stage of maturity at harvest, moisture
content, fineness of chopping, distribu–
tion during filling, packing and exdu–
sion of air in a good silage program.
With such a program additives are oot
essential."
Also in an ideal situation, meat–
producing animals would not be under
stress. "Stress on an animal anywhere
along the production period is the
biggest cause of disease,'' says Dr. Drake
of the University of Nevada
(Drove1>s
Joumal.
Feb. 24, 1970) .
But today animals are under stress.
"In al! species the trend in breeding,
management and feedíng is toward
more intensified systems," says Dr. Pope
of Texas A&M University. The very
nature of today's meat production sys–
tem is thus conducive to stress and
hence to disease. It is also conducive to
pollution as anyone living near a large
feedlot knows.
October-November 1970
So in an ideal situation this stress
would be removed. How? By having
meat animals produced on family-sized
individual farms where the stock has
plenty of room to move about and
where the numbers of animals are small
enough so they can be given the neces–
sary and conscientious husbandry needed
to produce high-quality meat.
Next in an ideal program, these
quality production methods would be
followed by similar high-quality, per–
sonalized slaughter, processing, and dis–
tribution methods.
The end result should be delicious
and healthful meat.
Can
l t
Be Done?
We are fully aware that to change
to the ideal situations just described, a
complete and total about-face in our
present way of doing things would be
required. But just such a drastic and
dramatic change is needed if we are
to improve meat quality. Obviously, in
today's world, the chances of making
these changcs look slim indeed.
The problem of farming and ranch–
ing methods is merely one in a series
of
HIGHLY
interrelated and complex
er:r:ors which have been made in our
technologically oriented world.
Sü1ee the beginning of the Industrial
Revolution we have attempted to spe–
cialize, concentrate and assembly-line
produce everything from cattle to cars.
It
is this kind of Industrial Social Order
which has been at the root of many of
our dilemmas.
We are swiftly racing to the place –
Lke it or not- where we must decide:
Do we want food which is fit to eat, or
to recklessly pursue materialism and
the resulting problems?
But the necessary changes to put us
on a sane course of food production
can, must and
WILL
be made.
If
you
wonder
HOW
and
WHEN -
write and
ask for our free booklet,
The W onderfttl
Wodd Tomorrow -
What It Wilt Be
Like.
It
explains what changes must be
made in our
mtire
society
if man is
0
to
really live a healthy and abundant life.
Also, send for our
FREE
reprint, "Eat
Right To Be Healthy."
It
explains the
basic principies of how you can be free
of sickness and feel vibrantly alive.
D