Holy Cow!

I recently picked up an audio book entitled, "The Way We Eat, Why Our Food Choices Matter" by Peter Singer and Jim Mason.  I expected a discourse on nutrition with a smattering of food ethics thrown in for good measure.  And I've been more attracted to non-fiction just because so many fiction books have dust jackets that announce, "Mandy was anxious to return home after her honeymoon and begin life as a married woman.  And then they found that dead body in the basement."  And then there is always, "They were a happy family.  Typical in so many ways, until the accident and that dead body in the basement." 

Anyway, with my interest in nutrition I thought this would be something I'd enjoy.  And maybe a bit of information that might help me decide how much I want to pursue vegetarianism, which has been my general path of choice.  This vegetarian bent began when I read that the fossil fuel fiasco we're facing could be solved if everyone ate vegetarian.  Eat your grains, beans and veggies and save the planet.  I can do that!

Hold on to your socks, and don't continue reading this blog entry if you're squeamish or are eating your lunch.  This book traces three families and their food choices, going from a typical American diet of meat and potatoes with a good dose of fast food, to a family that chooses organic.  And then the authors went on to investigate where the food comes from, what labels really mean, and how animals that produce the bulk of our meat are farmed.  This includes cows, pigs, poultry and their eggs, fish, shrimp, and other seafood.

The image that  keeps dancing around in my head are two of the methods for disposing of chickens who are no longer able to produce eggs at a profitable rate.  One egg producer, with the aid of a bulldozer, simply dug a large pit and buried the chickens alive.  Another fed the live birds into a wood chipper.  Yes, these were the extreme cases, but many other stories of animal treatment were not all that inspiring.  Unfortunately, there are no general standards against torture when it comes to farm animal treatment in many segments of the industry.  It's basically a nod to common practice. 

A good thought provoking read.  And maybe another reason to give the vegetarian life-style some serious thought.