Animal slaughtering... (1 Viewer)

A touchy subject I suppose.

I just watched a few tapes from my Faces of Death collection. I know it's all fake, except for the morgue and slaughter house footage.
I found the slaughter house footage fascinating. It's strange how people in a civilized society are so detached from the reality of this process. We see meat in the case at the supermarket in neat little packages and don't think about how it got there. I guess most people don't want to think about it.
What I found a little disturbing is the Kosher method of slaughtering. The animal is blessed and it's throat cut by the same man, a Rabbi. Then it is hung from the back legs and let to bleed to death.

Would viewing footage of animal slaughtering change your eating habits? Would you feel a little differently in the deli at the supermarket? Would you think about becoming a vegtarian or vegan?

I, by the way, enjoyed a ham and cheese sandwich during the film. Didn't phase me one bit.

James

I'm a terrible hypocrite and recognize it. I can't stand some of mass butchering methods used today by the Purdue and Tysons of the world. At the same time, I'm not about to give up meat (I'm on Atkins for Pete's sake!). I kind of vote my conscious by buying, whenever possible, meat processed by some of the smaller, organic shops that only do a few hundred slaughters a month compared to the big guys (hundreds and hour). I pay more but worry less about E. Coli and inhumane business practices. Quality over quantity...

I thought of something else. How many of you realize how veal is produced? Of course you know it is baby cows (calves?). But I don't think you can handle the rest of the story though. If you knew, would you still eat veal?

Hell no!!!! I figure if I'm not the one slaughtering the animals, but I expect meat to be at the supermarket when I get there, I really dont have much of a say in the preparation process. If they have to add an extra step or two in there to kill the animal before they butcher it, its my opinion that it will just raise prices, and none of us will see any real benefit, other than a clearer conscience, if this sort of thing bothers you anyway.

Sounds better than organically grown peanuts or potatoes, and I wouldn't reject those either.

same here. although it wouldnt take a great deal of effort for me to change to a vegetarian diet (i dont eat much meat) i dont know if i would want to. i eat mostly pasta...but, being a vegetarian usually means 'i never eat meat' and for me, that isnt true. but like don, i cant stand some of the butchering processes. i read fast food nation, so i know some of the stuff that goes on. it makes me be a little more cautious not to undercook any of the meat i eat.

CJ

No. Nature is no less gruesome.

Kosher slaughter is very similar to Halal slaughter practiced by muslims. They argue that it's more humane because there's an instant loss of blood pressure to the brain of the animal and the pain they feel from the (very sharp) knife is low.

I don't know who to believe but I dare see each method can go very wrong.

I'm more worried about the steroids and hormones and cow remains being fed to cows (which is thought to be the source of mad cow disease). When the mad cow was discovered in Canada about this time last year, I read about the horrible animal feeding practices and decided to no longer eat regular supermarket meat. I only eat free range chicken and Japanese kobe style wagyu beef. Healthy and UNBELIEVABLY TENDER AND DELICIOUS.

Wasn't the emergence of higher intelligence in apes (man) linked to the switch from a vegetarian to a carnivorous diet? As seen in the first act of 2001? I always understood that the amino acids in our brains that allow higher intelligence came from MEAT.

As someone raised in a deer-hunting-cleaning-eating part of the country I'm always amazed that some people can carve up an animal so damned fast. It takes me over-an hour and I almost cut my thumb off three times doing it.

At any rate, the slaughtering of a million cattle probably won't make me a vegetarian, but my expanding waistline might. :wink:

Hunting has long been a tradition in Wisconsin. Part of hunting is the field dressing and butchering of the deer/pheasant/quail..what have you. Now, I've been up to my shoulders dressing out a deer many a times and not once have I thought about it when I'm enjoying the venison a month later.

So, to answer your question, No.

Bruce

I'm a meat eater but might dislike the idea when aliens arrive, take our planet, and decide that we're for lunch.

Uhhh...no. This is why I pay someone (my local grocery store) to provide the meat for me. I could care less how it gets there as long as its not diseased.

I do not know the source of mad cow, but steroids are not behind its spread. Most of the spread occured by the practice of slaughtering sick/week cattle than processing their meat for feed in others cows. I mean, in concept it sounds nice. Lots of protein. Reality however was a different story. Most states have banned that practice now.

My job requires me to be in food processing plants from time to time, including slaughter houses. The slaughter itself, in my experience, is very efficient. I mean, they are businesses. They are going to do it in the quickest way possible.

They are also very clean, as required by law. The larger slaughter houses actually have a USDA employee there full time to oversee practices. I have seen some things that would make people cringe if they saw it for themselves, but never in a meat plant.

I've never eaten Veal and never will. But I won't hesitate to order that 12 ounce Ribeye now and then.

I was just wacthing the my nature DVD's and started feeling guilty about eating meat, but then I realized that we (humans) are animals too and this is how things work.

Of course, I'm all for treating the animals with respect while they are still alive. I sometimes feel bad about eating Veal, but then I'd be a hypocrite for not feeling bad about the other meat and fish I eat.

There was a bonus featurette on the "Blue Planet" DVD about the issues with eating fish. Since so many people eat fish, the methods for colelcting fish has gotten out of control...much worse than you can even imagine as far as Veal is concerned.

So when someone yells at me for eating veal (while they eat fish), I just have to figure that we all need to just be quiet because we're all guilty of things we don't even realize.

Sensitive topic so I don't know how long this thread will last, but I'll be able to get this in!

Itchy and Scratchy Land...
Marge: I'll have the baby guts.
Waiter: Yugh, lady, you disgust me!
Lisa: Mom, that's veal.
Marge: oohh...

Hormones and Steroids have nothing to do with mad cow which is spread from infected food. The issue was (its now illegal) the cattle feed producers adding in processed cattle into the feed to boost the protein levels. Still that's been illegal since the early 90's I think and your chances of getting it are virtually nill...you're far more likely to get food poisoning etc.

As for hormones and steriods they're use isn't as high as you might think...at least not in any cattle I've ever been around...which is more then a few having grown up on a dairy farm and being surrounded by beef farmers the better part of my life

IBTL!

/inevitable post/

White Veal is banned in Britain.

It allows us to feel morally superior to the French.

Now, I best get those Baby Octopi and lamb shanks in the Oven for dinner.

Cheers,
Phill