The document discusses ethical eating and animal welfare in the food system, emphasizing issues in conventional animal production and the treatment of livestock such as chickens, pigs, and cows. It highlights the lack of regulations governing humane treatment, health risks associated with animal products, and environmental impacts of factory farming. Additionally, it mentions alternatives like sustainable and humane food options available on campus.

1. Ethical Eating … taking a look into animal welfare in our food system

2. What are we talking about? Conventional Animal Production Ethical treatment Questions about human health Environmental Impact Vegetarianism and Veganism What’s available for you on campus? Questions?

3. Some definitions Feedlot  where cows go to get fattened up before slaughter Castration  removal of testicles CAFO  confined animal feed operation

4. Slaughter  the killing of animals mostly for human consumption Livestock  all animals raised for intent of food production Free range  not defined by law, but used by the industry to say that poultry, pigs lived outside of cages/crates Pasture-raised  most sustainable way of producing animals for human consumption; animals are able to roam around freely, and do all things naturally

5. Do Animals Feel Pain? All birds, mammals, fish have a central nervous system… All birds, mammals and fish can feel pain. Is there emotional pain associated with physical harm? The jury is out on that…

6. Conventional Animal Production Chickens, poultry Pigs Cattle Fish

7. Chickens Broiler chickens  meat consumption Layer hens  egg consumption, meat consumption

8. Broilers Bred to grow muscles 2x as fast as in 1940’s Muscle growth does not match bone growth Deformities Can’t walk Crowded pens on concrete/slatted floors De-beaking Disease vector  administer antibiotics Unnatural diets

9. Layers 98% live in crowded cages - 48 sq. in. each – vertical integration De-beaking Disease vector  administer antibiotics Forced molting through starvation to increase egg production Unnatural diets Butchered after 2 egg-laying seasons By slaughter, 29% suffer broken bones due to neglect and maltreatment

10. Health Risks and Human Concerns Hormones – increase growth; illegal in US Antibiotics – promote growth; treat disease Arsenic – antimicrobial dug; promotes growth Disease vector – E. coli, bird flu, salmonella Environmental pollution

11. What happens at slaughter? Transported by truck to slaughter No legal requirement for chickens to be anesthetized for slaughter… they are awake Throats cut Dipped into tanks of scalding hot water to loosen feathers Plucked of feathers by hand or machine

12. Facts and figures There is no federal law that regulates humane treatment of chickens Over 9 billion chickens were slaughtered in the US for their flesh 245 million hens are raised for eggs 99% of all chickens raised for food spend their entire lives in confinement Due to genetic manipulation (selective breeding) 90% of broiler chickens have trouble walking 100 million male chicks are ground up alive or suffocated each year 71% of the farmers who work under contract for Tyson earn below-poverty wages

13. Poultry’s environmental impact Soy-based high protein feed diet Ammonia emissions and water contamination Manure lagoons Nitrates and phosphates contaminate waterways Nitrates  algae blooms  fish kills Blue baby syndrome  result of drinking nitrogen-contaminated water

14. The Industry… “ Is it more profitable to grow the biggest bird and have increased mortality due to heart attacks, ascites, and leg problems, or should birds be grown smaller so that birds are smaller, but have fewer heart, lung, and skeletal problems? A large portion of grower’s pay is based on the pound of saleable meat produced, so simple calculations suggest that it is better to get the weight and ignore the mortality …”

15. Free Range Poultry Guaranteed for all egg laying hens and broilers – Prop 2 by 2012 What does free range mean? Is it really free range? “ Most free-range birds are still fenced in corrals, though people like to imagine the birds are out roaming the range. They are not out exercising. These birds are raised much like the regular poultry.” – Ralph Ernst, UC Davis Poultry Specialist

16. Turkeys Killed when they are 5-6 mo. old 300 million slaughtered ea. year No federal legal protection Beaks, toes seared off Crammed in tight quarters with thousands of other birds Slaughtered like chickens Too obese to reproduce  artificially inseminated

17. Turkey treatment Mortalities from organ failure or heart attack before reaching 6 mo. old Become to obese to walk Transportation to slaughterhouse results in the death of millions of turkeys each year due to heat exhaustion, freezing, transport accidents

18. Free range turkey? “Consumers can really be fooled. Some farms can qualify for free range, but they raise turkeys in the same conditions as industrial farms” – Mary Pitman from Mary’s Free-Range Turkeys

19. Pigs Over 100million pigs are killed ea. year for consumption 97% of the pigs consumed today are raised on factory farms Baby pigs have some of their teeth removed, are castrated (males), and have their tails cut off and ears notched Gestation crates Transport to slaughterhouse results in the death of 1 million pigs ea. year

20. Treatment of pigs Farrowing crates Piglets placed in “battery cages”  similar to vertical integration for layer hens Pigs are crammed into small pens with many other pigs until slaughter Rampant disease Pigs live up to 6 mo. in factory farms… in nature pigs live up to 15 years

21. Pig Illnesses Genetic manipulation to grow too big too fast Arthritis Joint problems Mange Pneumonia – 70% have it before slaughtered

22. Slaughter of Pigs Transported to slaughterhouses in trucks 170,000 pigs die each year in transport 420,000 pigs are crippled during transport ea. year Typical slaughterhouse kills up to 1,100 pigs every hour Pigs stunned with stun guns, or bolt guns Improper firing of stun guns/bolt guns result in live slaughter Throats slit to bleed out Scalding water bath to remove hair

23. Health Risks and Human Concerns Antiobiotics in pigs Trichinosis – parasites; raw and undercooked pork Linked to when pigs were fed garbage 1997-2001, average of 12 cases per year

24. Environmental Impact Feral Pigs in North and South America, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii Invasive species – extensive environmental damage Pollution from waste

25. Cows Beef cows Dairy cows

26. Beef Cattle Bread specifically for meat production First year spent grazing Iron-branding Castration Horns removed After first year  auctioned off Shipped to feedlot Many arrive at feedlot crippled or dead

27. Life at the Feedlot Unnatural diet of mostly corn and antibiotics Acidification and bloating of the stomach Ulceration and rupturing of the intestines Manure overload and manure lagoons Respiratory problems due to chromic inhalation of the ammonia, methane, and noxious chemicals created by confined environment

29. Dairy Cows Repeatedly impregnated in order to induce lactation Calves taken away from them rBGH and rBST – growth hormones used to increase milk production Unnatural diet high in fat and protein-rich grains to increase milk production and replace energy lost by producing such large quantities of milk Antibiotics administered to keep cows healthy

30. Slaughter When to slaughter - b eef cattle is an “acceptable size”; dairy cows stop producing at an “acceptable” rate Fast and messy  the faster they slaughter, the more meat they can produce, and for cheaper 400 cows slaughtered per day in ea. slaughter house Cows are stunned, sometimes not completely Throats slit, bleed out Slaughtered – specific cuts or ground beef

31. What’s in the Beef? GROSS Fecal contamination E. coli 0157:H7 Mad Cow Disease Saturated Fat GOOD Protein Vitamin B12 Iron (heme form)

32. What is in the milk? GROSS Pus Hormones Antibiotics Saturated Fat Cholesterol Pesticide residues Dioxins Antibiotics GOOD Calcium Protein Vitamin B12 Added Vitamin D

33. Got Osteoporosis? A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) looked at all aspects of diet and bone health and found that high consumption of fruits and vegetables positively affected bone health and that dairy consumption did not . Such findings do not surprise nutritional researchers: The calcium absorption rate from milk is approximately 30 percent , while figures for broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, and some other green leafy vegetables range from 40 percent to 64 percent .

34. Something’s Fishy Overfishing – 90% of large fish populations have been exterminated in the past 50 years Contamination of our waterways Factory Farmed Fish (aquaculture) – it takes 5lbs of wild fish to produce 1lb of farmed fish Destruction of ocean’s ecosystems Bycatch

35. Health Concerns and Fish Seafood is the #1 cause of food poisoning in the US E. coli Biomagnification Heavy metals : cadmium, mercury, lead, chromium, arsenic Kidney damage, nervous system issues, cancer, etc.

36. What do we do?

37. “ Sustainable” Proteins Mary’s Turkey – free range Mary’s Chicken – free range Petaluma Poultry/Rosie’s Chicken – free range

38. Food Alliance Certified “Animal Welfare Approved” Grass Fed Beef – Fulton Beef Pure Country Pork

39. Healthy, humane animal treatment “ Food Alliance certified producers raise livestock with the greatest respect for their needs and comfort . Food Alliance producers provide proper nutrition for excellent animal health and fitness , without excess fat . Living conditions and space allowances provide physical and thermal comfort , afford access to natural lighting and vegetated pasture (where appropriate), and enhance natural behavior (including social contact among animals). Food Alliance producers are trained and competent handlers , minimizing animal fear and stress during handling, transportation and slaughter . Use of hormone treatments is prohibited . Antibiotic use is restricted to treatment of occasional illness, and not as a substitute for healthy living conditions.”

40. Monterey Bay Seafood Watch

41. Milk and dairy products Horizon Organic  organic, but humane? Berkeley Farm  rBST free Butter  Sysco brand Creamers Cheeses  Sysco brand

42. Other options… Vegetarian entrees Vegan entrees Vegan corner Soy milk Vegan desserts

43. Opportunities for the future… Glaum Eggs – cage free – possibly for the Fall of 2009… may be too expensive Continue to purchase Food Alliance Certified products as they become available Vegan ice cream

44. What is the barrier? Student demand Cost Availability

45. QUESTIONS? ?