Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Health Hazards

The previous Great NEWS post shared Cosmetics Health Hazards and today we uncover Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Health Hazards. Do you consume animal products that contain excessive doses of antibiotics, bacteria contamination (e coli and salmonella), chemicals, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) crops like canola, corn, cotton seed or soy, growth hormones, herbicides, medications, pesticides, vaccinations and other unknown hazards?  If you buy factory farmed animal products the answer is most likely yes. We are what we eat so these unhealthy factors  affect us by becoming part of us like the worst science fiction nightmare possible. Today we reveal Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Health Hazards that the factory farms do not want you to know about. 

The Great NEWS Coach blog provides powerful posts to share serious health hazards and simple strategies for maintaining healthy habits. The series on Health Hazards offers clear and concise information to protect us and our families. Health hazards cause disease, disability and death so we must be vigilant to guard our family and home.  Animal products are poorly regulated and supervised during the complex process from factory farm to family food. Companies make them appear safe even when there are harmful chemicals and compounds in the animals.  This post will offer valuable insights to help minimize CAFO health hazards.

Many shoppers are clueless to the factory farms, food and ingredients associated with their animal products.

This post was written after noticing the confusing labels and wording used by the factory farm companies selling billions of dollars of animal products. Clever advertising, labeling and marketing of animal products is very confusing and misleading.  Many shoppers are clueless to the factory farms, food and ingredients associated with their animal products. Many are not aware that most factory farm animals are tormented and treated very badly. How could caring people buy animal products from companies that deliberately mistreat their animals? They say ignorance of the law is no excuse and the same applies about factory farms.

Most factory farms goal is to produce a product as cheaply as possible and deliver it to market regardless of how the animals are treated. They have minimum consideration if any for long term consequences and health hazards to you the consumer. Most shoppers do not read the labels before buying animal products and if they do are quite confused by the vast array of advertising techniques and terms used. When asked about the ingredients or source of their animal products most people do not know what is in the food they are eating. Even though our health and longevity depend on the quality of nutrients consumed most people feel they are too busy and too trusting to do the research.

Many shoppers read the ingredients and labels and think the USDA and FDA have fully monitored the animals, antibiotics, factory farm feedlots, feed, processing plants and transportation to insure ingredients and products are regulated and safe. Unfortunately it is too naïve and trusting to think a small department can monitor a massive system which would be like monitoring every person in the US and seeing they eat healthy, exercise outdoors, live in nice housing and take care of themselves. It does not happen with people so what makes you think it will happen with animals? If you do not invest the time to protect your happiness, health and hormones…who will?

People who trust the FDA and USDA to monitor animal products and trust the big brand factory farms to produce safe animal products would be shocked to learn about the lack of oversight and supervision to protect consumers. The FDA has known for many years of the harmful consequences of using large amounts of antibiotics in animal feed and yet allows this practice to continue. Every time you hear of a big beef, dairy, egg, chicken, fish, pork or turkey recall you know it was because people became sick after eating contaminate foods that were sold to consumers. The lack of consumer awareness and false faith in factory farms to produce a healthy product and protect consumers underscores the dark side of the CAFO industry. 

The great news is there are smaller companies with natural, organic and safer animal products out there and they are growing to meet consumer demand for safe alternatives. Many have read about me being a big Costco and Whole Foods fan because they carry organic animal products like beef, chicken, eggs, fish and lamb products as well as well as organic plant based food products at great prices.

Most consumers feel that the farms will do the right thing and produce a healthy and wholesome product.

Consumers spend a fortune on animal products and unfortunately many buy based on special promotions and sale price even if the products are harming their health and longevity. They look for a big brand they trust without researching how and where the animals are raised. Most consumers feel that the farms will do the right thing and produce a healthy and wholesome product. 

In reality there is a vast difference between natural, organic and safe animal products and those raised on over crowded factory farm feedlots. Factory farm animals are fed and treated with many harmful, synthetic and toxic substances with minimal concern for the animal’s welfare. Unfortunately for many consumers the animals are treated like other Genetically Engineered (GE) and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) such as canola, corn, cotton seed, soy and sugar beets versus an animal that breathers, lives and raises young much like we do. 

My goal for blog post is to help children, men and women to focus more on holistic health and nutrient dense organic animals and whole foods rather than factory farmed animals, GMO products and fake fast foods which contain synthetic chemicals and compounds that harm your health. Appealing to the caring, compassionate and intelligence of women is essential because their decisions are the driving force of this country and affect them, their families and the planet. Women make the majority of key decisions that impact the health, nutrition and well being of the family. Children and men will normally follow their choices and example so they are also influencing future decisions and future generations. Regardless of your beliefs about consuming animal products or not it is essential for all consumers to select natural, organic and safe food products.

Before you buy any animal products, research the methods and sources producing the products first. Everything we eat becomes a part of us and affects every cell of our being and our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual self so choose wisely. Understand the health hazards and long term risks of animal products from CAFO’s before you harm yourself and loved ones. Who wants to risk asthma, cancer, endocrine disruption, learning disabilities, genetic mutation, neurological problems and skin damage from their food? Face it…fake foods with chemicals and compounds are out… and natural organic and safe whole foods are in.

CAFO Health Hazards

Antibiotics, medicines and vaccinations are over used to an extreme in CAFOs.

1. Antibiotics, medicines and vaccinations are over used to an extreme in CAFOs. Massive amounts of antibiotics are added to the animal feed to prevent disease that occurs due to the animal crowding, stress and unsanitary waste conditions. This excessive use of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistant bacteria and disease such as e coli and salmonella. When you ingest these animal products you are adding to your antibiotic load, creating more resistant bacteria and weakening your immune system.

The majority of chicken and much of the ground beef in the US is known to be contaminated with bacteria such as e coli and salmonella from fecal contamination. Campylobacter jejuni and c. coli are now recognized as some of the main causes of bacterial food borne disease.

2. Hormones like synthetic recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) are given to dairy cows to produce more milk. This hormone is not allowed in Australia, Canada, EU, Japan, Israel and New Zealand. Additional hormone implants are given to feedlot cattle to promote faster growth. A-DES (diethylstilbestrol) has been used since 1954. Now there are 6 anabolic steroids cocktails (3 natural steroids and 3 synthetic hormones) used in cattle in the U.S. and Canada feedlots.

3. De-beaking chickens and turkeys, de-horning cattle and confining and immobilizing male dairy cattle for veal are all cruel and unnecessary torture. Factory farms are also cloning animals and doing genetic manipulations to focus on how much meat they can produce.

4. GMO crops such as GMO canola, corn, cotton seed, soy and sugar beets are used for animal feed and human food.   Some animals are fed chicken manure, ground up feathers and parts or ground up fish meal (menhaden). Farm raised fish are fed artificial foods like grain pellets and waste scraps. This is unhealthy and unnatural.

5. Fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and pesticides in the animal feed and water are a big concern for consumers. Since these animals eat a lot of food the harmful chemicals are more concentrated in animal products and that means more contamination in you.

6. Chemicals, heavy metals and toxins end up in the food and water provided to animals. Due to the nature of crowding conditions and buying the cheapest feed the animals end up consuming lots of harmful chemicals, compounds and contamination in what they drink and eat. Feedlots really don’t care if the feed is GMO Frankenfoods or the water is polluted with harmful fertilizers and herbicides since it is for a factory farm animal and there is no testing for pollutants.

7. Cages, confinement, pens and shelters are a key part of raising animals. Animal waste, contaminated drinking water, pollution, waste water sludge and other contaminations affect the health and well being of the animals and fish.  Since you are what you eat avoid unhealthy animal products.

Sick and stressed animals are a normal part of commercial factory farm feedlots.

8. Sick and stressed animals are a normal part of commercial factory farm feedlots. Did you know that pigs are stacked in metal cages with open metal grating on top of each other? This means waste from the top levels fall on the lower levels. Also the pigs are in constant pain because their feet are tormented by the metal grating floor. Stand barefoot on concrete floors or metal grating for a few hours and imagine what they must go through. Chickens and turkeys are de-beaked so they cannot peck normally. Feedlot cattle stand in confined pens and manure all day long. Dairy cows that are over manipulated, medicated and milked so they get sick and weak in several years and end up as cheap hamburger meat from abused, stressed and tainted animals.

9. Even animal transportation has long term health consequences. Use your common sense. Imagine a large group of cattle or chickens crammed into a trailer going from feedlot to processing plant without food or water in cold and hot temperatures. Then being handled in a very rough fashion to unload and wind up on an assembly line for processing. Even dead, diseased and injured animals are processed without a second thought.

10. Processing plants are notorious for inhumane treatment of animals during handling and off loading. Animals are often very sick and weak after being transported in overcrowded trailers where the animals are dehydrated and excessively cold or hot. Many fall in route and are trampled. Even downed and sick cattle that cannot walk after unloading are slaughtered. Processing plants often lack sterile conditions and the dairy and meat are cross contaminated with bacteria and sick animals. During processing chickens are dipped in water to rinse the blood off.These vats become loaded with bacteria like e coli and salmonella and all chickens are contaminated. Processors often use bleach or another chemical disinfectant to get rid of the bacteria.

Distribution, storage, transportation as well as preparation and serving on the back end of processed animal products is another concern to consider. If the package products are not handled and stored correctly the bacteria contamination can grow rapidly and spread. 

Avoid These CAFO Products

• 

  Organic chicken that is naturally fed and well raised has a nice rich yellow fat and skin color while factory farm chicken is a dull white with lots of white fat.

  Caged eggs even if label vegetarian feed.

• Caged and confined chickens or turkeys.
• Corn fed beef, chicken and pork due to GMO corn.
• Farm raised catfish, salmon, shrimp and tilapia.
• Feedlot beef.
• Ground beef from dairy cows.
• Pasteurized Dairy with Bovine Growth Hormone.
• Veal which is from mistreated male dairy cattle.

Consider Safer Choices:

• Organic dairy products like raw cheese and milk (non-homogenized and non-pasteurized). Organic goat cheese and milk is an excellent choice for many people around the world.
• Organic free range eggs
• Free range grass fed organic animals (beef, buffalo, chicken, goat, lamb, pork, turkey, venison)
• Wild caught anchovies, herring, mackerel, sardines and squid
• Wild caught salmon, tuna (limit to one serving a month due to mercury)

Did you know that chicken in the EU looks and tastes totally different from chicken in the US? Organic chicken that is naturally fed and well raised has a nice rich yellow fat and skin color while factory farm chicken is a dull white with lots of white fat. While visiting many butcher shops in the EU you can see a noticeable difference in the appeal, color and quality of beef, chicken, fish and pork. In the EU you can see lots of meats being naturally cured and displayed.  Naturally cured bacon, hams, pepperoni, salami and sausage hang from display racks for weeks in stores without refrigeration and are totally safe to eat. Most eggs there are not refrigerated. In the US they warn you to cook all meats to high temperatures long enough to kill all the bacteria they know are in the meat. Eggs are kept refrigerated and you are warned not to eat them raw due to salmonella.

There are many chemicals, compounds and toxins used by CAFOs which create significant health hazards to people and the planet. These synthetic chemicals and compounds are ingested and absorbed into the body. They harm our liver, immune and nervous system. The more chemicals and compounds that are used to raise factory farmed animals the more damage and danger is created for all of us and future generations. These toxic chemicals then end up in our drinking water, food, rivers and oceans harming all people and the planet over time. 

Unhealthy animal products are contributing to a significant financial drain to our happiness, health and health care system.

When you think of billions of animals being raised on factory farms each year you begin to realize the magnitude of the problem and serious side effects. Unhealthy animal products are contributing to a significant financial drain to our happiness, health and health care system. The big conglomerate factory farms, feed lots and GMO feeds are destroying our environment and health while draining our financial and natural resources. Raising the animals and feed crops are contributing to major ecological and soil destruction and erosion.

This Great NEWS post shared Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Health Hazards to help people stop consuming unhealthy animal products and start consuming natural organic and safe choices. Focusing on healthy habits each day will help children, men and women be more happy, healthy and holistic. Use every penny you invest in animal products to tell companies you demand and expect healthy and safe products. This Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Health Hazards post is shared to educate, empower and energize all of us to better protect the precious people, plants and planet.

What is your current Gap?

What unhealthy animal products are you and your family consuming while eating out or at home?

Mastery Action Plan (MAP)

What mastery action plans will help you reduce your risk from unhealthy animal products? Read the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) “Antibiotic Resistance Threat Report,” published in September 2013 that highlights the two million Americans being infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria annually. As a result over 20,000 people die each year.

Call to Action

What comments, commitments or concerns come to mind regarding unhealthy animal products? What new decisions and resources will help you avoid these health hazards and begin healthy habits?

Next week the Great NEWS blog will share:

Antibiotics Abuse Health Hazards

PS:  Comment, like, plus and share this blog on social media page links because family, fans, followers and friends will also benefit from The Great NEWS Coach and Transformation Life Coaching (TLC). Thanks for your support.