MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

Meat Consumption and Animal Cruelty

Katia Gardea
The University of Texas at El Paso

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

Abstract
The purpose of this review is to know how meat consumption works in our lifes,
and the reactions that may have in our body and ecosystem. Meat consumption has been
an important part of the humans since the beginning of life. Meat consumption is based
largely on availability, price and tradition. Is often regarded as the central food round
which meals are planned, but health concerns have been associated with the
consumption of meat. Heart diseases and saturated fatty acids have been implicated as
an important dietary risk factor. Meat consumption it is not just associated with health
concerns in humans but also with the cruelty that the animals have to live in order to
satisfy the human necessities.

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

Introduction
Most of the people in the world were born and grow up with the idea that meat
consumption is good or completely normal. Because humans have eat meat since the
beginning of life, but as the years past and the technology with it, researches have
shown that the meat consumptions can affect health. A major cause of death in some
parts of the industrialized world is coronary heart disease (CHD) and saturated fatty
acids. Since about a quarter of the saturated fatty acids in the diet is supplied by meat
fat. In the following question the audience will assume if meat consumption is as good
as it seems or not.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Are greenhouse gases associated with meat consumption?

Can consumers do something to reduce their exposure to toxins in meat?
Should we be concerned about toxins in meat?
I human use on animals a tradition and therefore morally justified?
Are greenhouse gases associated with meat consumption?
Most of the people are aware that cars or some electric power can produce

greenhouse gases that might affect the environment. But a few people know that meat
also contributes to global warming. Actually, Both intensive (industrial) a non-intensive
(traditional) forms of meat production result in the release of greenhouse gases, and this
contribute to climate change. As meat supply and consumption increase around the
world, more sustainable food systems must be encouraged. According to a 2006 report
by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), our diets and,
specifically, the meat in them cause more greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane, nitrous oxide, and the like to spew into the atmosphere than either
transportation or industry.

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

The true costs of industrial agriculture, and specifically cheap meat, have
become more and more evident. The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or
three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems
(Steinfeld 2006).
The FAO report found that
the current production of meat
contribute about 14 to 22
percent of the
greenhouse gases the
world produces every
year. The raising of
livestock results in the
emission of methane
(CH4) from enteric fermentation1
and nitrous oxide (N2O) from excreted nitrogen, as well as from chemical nitrogenous
(N) fertilizers used to produce the feed for the many animals often packed into
landless Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) (Lesschen et al. 2011,
Herrero et al. 2011, OMara 2011, Janzen 2011, Reay et al. 2012).

Should we be concerned about toxins in meat?

Dioxins are environmental pollutants. They belong to the so called dirty dozen
a group of dangerous chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

Dioxins are of concern because of the highly toxic potential. Experiments have shown
they affect a number of organs and systems.
Most human exposure to dioxin comes from the food supply, 95 percent of it
from the fat in meat, dairy, fish, and shellfish. Both the World Health organizations
international agency for research on Cancer and the U.S. department of Health and
Human services National Toxicology Program consider dioxin a human carcinogen, and
the U.S. EPA estimates that the lifetime cancer risk from dioxin-like chemicals (DLCs)
for the general public is as high as 1 in 1000. Because these compounds are highly
stable and lipophilic (fat loving), they remain in the body for between seven and eleven
years, affecting a host of organs and systems. DLCs are associated with a number of
toxic reactions including dermal toxicity, immunotoxicity, reproductive and
developmental deficits, endocrine toxicity and tumors. The National Academy of
Sciences found that DLCs might also contribute to thyroid dysfunction, lipid disorders,
neurotoxicity, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. Most of the data from
epidemiological studies comes from people who were occupationally and accidentally
exposed at much higher doses than occurs through meat consumption, and the toxicity
of the various complex mixtures of these compounds in food and human tissue is not
fully understood. We do know, however that the developing fetus is especially sensitive
to the effects of DLCs.
The effects of dioxins on human health may result in skin lesions, also, such as
chloracne and patchy darkening of the skin, and altered liver function. Long-term
exposure is linked to impairment of the immune system, the developing nervous system,
the endocrine system and reproductive functions.
Can consumers do something to reduce their exposure to toxins in meat?

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

The FDA, EPA, WHO and National Academy of Sciences all agree that the best
way to lower personal dioxin levels is to reduce dietary exposure. The consensus
strategy includes lowering animal fat intake by choosing lean meats, low fat and free fat
dairy products, along with eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. A wellbalanced and diversified diet also helps to reduce exposure to any single dietary source
of dioxin. The FDA further recommends removing the skin of fish and poultry, relying
less on lard and butter to prepare food and using healthier cooking methods such as
broiling.
There is also a way to prevent and control the dioxin exposure, proper
incineration of contaminated material is the best available method of preventing and
controlling exposure to dioxins, It can also destroy PCB-based water oils. The
incineration process requires high temperatures, over 850 C. For the destruction of
large amounts of contaminated material, even higher temperatures are required.

I human use on animals a tradition and therefore morally justified?

Animals exist on the borderline of our moral concepts; the result is that we
sometimes find ourselves according them a strong moral status, while at other times
denying them any kind of moral status at all. Philosophical thinking on the moral
standing of animals is diverse and can be generally grouped into three general
categories: Indirect theories, direct but unequal theories, and moral equality theories.
Indirect theories deny animals moral status or equal consideration with humans due to a
lack of consciousness, reason, or autonomy. Direct but unequal theories accord some
moral consideration to animals, but deny them a fuller moral status due to their inability
to respect another agents rights or display moral reciprocity within a community of

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

equal agents. Moral equality theories extend equal consideration and moral status to
animals by refuting the supposed moral relevance of the aforementioned special
properties of human beings.
Every form of discrimination in the history of humankind has been defended as
traditional. The fact that some behavior can be described as traditional has nothing to
do with whether the behavior is or is not morally acceptable.

Apendix A
A few questions were asked to people of different ages. 70% of the people
asked, believe that meat improves their health in a good way, while 30% think that the
abuse of the consumption can affect their health. Therefore, 100% of the people say that
there are cruelty in every farm. But some of them were ok with that.
Here are the opinions of the people.
1-Do you believe that meat improve your health or the opposite?
2- What is your opinion about farms and how they treat animals?

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

Leinad, 23 years old

1- If you eat meat in reasonable portions improves your health, but in the
contrary in you abuse the consume your health would get worst. Meat
contain proteins that the body needs, but also fatty acids that are bad for the
body.
2- Without meat factories we would not have meat so easily to come by. And in
a way it is inhuman treatment that is given to animals, but if you think there
is not humane way to kill a living being. The factories meet its goal to

provide us with the food that many of us like.

Josefina, 50
1- Red meat in excessive portion definitely worsens health, because can affect
the uric acid.
2- I do not agree to the meat factory, as they are slaughtered in a very cruel
manner and animals are fattened with chemicals to produce more meat and

that's not right because it is synthetic.

Arena, 22
1- I think the meat is important in our diet as it is balanced with the rest of the
food.
2- I think most have poor hygiene, and give mishandling animals. Therefore I

think that the authorities should give more attention to this.

Miguel, 23
1- Improve health if keeping track of it, meat has many proteins and some fats
that our body needs for its operation.
2- The factories of meat are frowned upon by society because there kill animals
and that's cruel but seeing it in colder and realistically what occurs is

something that needs man to stay

Rafael, 42
1- Improved if eaten with measure and following a good diet; Health
worsens if abused in their consumption.
2- Animals at farms always receive a bad treatment.

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

Apendix B

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

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