The largest meat recall in history, initiated by the USDA yesterday, covers over 143 million pounds of beef processed over the last 2 years by Hallmark/Westland Meat Packing Company, based in Chino, CA.

The recall was instigated by the shocking videos recently released of how sickly animals were mistreated and forced into slaughter using heavy machinery, electrocution, prodding, kicking and other abusive and inhumane treatments. What this means is that the meat processed by this company from these animals is highly likely to contain disease, and in particular mad cow disease.

Not only is this practice inhumane, but it’s also against the law to process sickly animals that can’t even stand on their own legs. Why? Because animals, and in this case cows, that are so sick have some sort of disease (the reason they can’t even stand). And in particular, they may have mad cow disease. Mad cow disease attacks the cows nervous system making it non-functional and not being able to stand is a common symptom. It also affects their brains and spinal cords. If these diseased cows are processed for meat, the disease is spread during slaughter contaminating other meat as well.

Now here’s the sad and surprising part. This recall effects meat processed up to 2 years ago and much of the that meat has already been consumed.

About 37 million pounds of this meat had already been delivered to schools who use it in their lunch programs. Much of this recalled meat has already been eaten by our children at school!

Other sources that received this meat include fast food restaurants like Jack-in-the-Box and In-and-Out Burger.

So if you or your children have eaten at these restaurants in the last 2 years or eat meat at a school lunch program, chances are good that you’ve eaten the recalled and potentially diseased meat. Possibly contaminated with mad cow disease as well.

And no, cooking doesn’t kill the disease. All it takes is a bit of the diseased cow’s brain or spinal cord mixed in with the meat to get through and it’s easily transmitted to humans. This is common as cross-contamination happens every day in slaughter houses. So much so that a good percentage of meat has cow feces still in it, and it’s acceptable to both the industry and USDA to let it through. Read Fast Food Nation for more on this.

To me, this is beyond disgusting and completely irresponsible.

The only charges made in this recall were 5 felony and 3 misdemeanor charges against employees. No formal charges against the company have been made. The fact that the company isn’t being held responsible points to the industry and government partnership watching out for each other. I guess this shouldn’t come as a surprise, most top USDA officials come from companies like Hallmark/Westland or related industries.

Is it worth your or your childrens’ health or life, just to eat a burger or steak? Whether the meat we eat is safe or not is apparently completely out of our control. Regardless of what is said or mandated, there is always a profit motive behind the quality (or lack of quality in this case) that can change the quality of our food.

So what’s the solution?

One of the best ways to regain and maintain your health is to remove meat from your diet and eat a mainly plant based diet, including fresh fruits, vegetables, greens, nuts, seeds, sprouts and natural grains.

Personally, I shifted to a fresh, plant based diet many years ago and it’s been the best decision I’ve made for my health. Those I know or have researched that have switched are also reporting significant benefits, including weight loss, reversal or reduction of cancer, disease and other illnesses, less aches and pains, more energy, less stress and overall better health.

A recent study identified the vegetarian diet the best for heart health, and this is not the only one. There are hundreds if not thousands of research studies that tie the consumption of animal products to increased disease and death. The recent book ‘The China Study‘ by Dr. Colin Campbell details the longest study done on the overwhelming benefits of plant based diet, and the clear perils of eating an animal based diet. And one of the main benefits reported in most every study is weight loss.

And read this, from the editor in chief of the American Journal of Cardiology himself:

If we - that is, society - switched to a vegetarian diet, atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, which accounts for most heart disease, would vanish.
- William Roberts, M.D. editor in chief of the American Journal of Cardiology

One of the reasons for these overwhelming benefits is that a plant based diet is rich in fiber. Fiber is necessary to move everything through our digestive system and keep it clean. Animal products have ZERO fiber. That’s why those on a Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) of many animal foods daily have trouble with regular bowel movements, often have pains and aches throughout their body from the uric acid and hold excess weight because it stays in the colon and extends the stomach as it grows with excess weight.

It’s interesting that even though there isn’t one study that shows an increase of meat or animal products are beneficial to our health, most Americans eat them in glutenous amounts every day. Walk into any restaurant, deli, fast food joint or supermarket and try to avoid an animal based food. You can’t do it. Even in health oriented stores like Whole Foods, they are particularly heavy in the animal based foods with at least 3 or 4 complete sections in the newest store in our area completely dedicated to meats, cheese or animal foods.

And we wonder why ‘diseases of the fork’ continue to rise, including cancers and heart disease of all sorts. Aside from smoking, the largest percentage of deaths every year is attributed to some type of disease that is caused by what we eat.

And it’s not only a health issue.

If you missed my earlier post, The Single Best Way To Help The Environment, I wrote about why giving up meat and eating a mainly vegetarian diet is the single most effective way you can help the environment. In that post is a video where the discussion reveals the costs and environmental damage in the process of raising animals for food. They are astronomical, and a recent report from the UN identifies the environment emissions from raising animals for food is 130 times greater than our own human generated waste and emissions. Wow.

Review the facts and make your choice.

To your best health!

Mark Idzik

Related:

> 37 Free Weight Loss Tips

> Tips to switch to a Natural, Whole Food Diet

> Where to get Natural Whole Food Snacks

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