3.What's+in+the+Meat

Group 3

Chapter 9: What's in the meat?

__Summary__

In 1997, Lee Harding ate a hamburger contaminated with the pathogen E. coli O157:H7 and became ill. This strain of E. coli O157:H7 was traced to a Hudson Food plant in Columbus, Nebraska. 35 million pounds of ground beef were recalled from this Columbus plant. In the United States, two hundred thousand people are sickened by foodborne disease, nine hundred are hospitalized and fourteen die daily. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over a quarter of Americans suffer from food poisoning each year. These illnesses are causing long term health problems, such as heart disease, as well as short term ones, such as diarrhea. The main cause in the recent rise in foodborne illnesses is the change in the production of American food. The system of processing and meat packing has been efficiently spreading disease, primarily because of the fecal matter in the meat.

Hamburgers used to carry a negative connotation up until the 1920s, when the first hamburger food chain, White Castle was founded. It was during the 1950s, however, that the hamburger turned into a national dish, with the creation of drive-ins and fast food restaurants. In 1992, the food chain, Jack in the Box, served undercooked, contaminated ground beef. This beef resulted in two hundred cases of illness caused by the E. coli O157:H7. The majority of the victims of the illness were children.

E. coli O157:H7 is a mutated version of a bacterium found in the human digestive system. This mutation releases a toxin that can cause kidney failure, internal bleeding, anemia, destruction of vital organs, seizures, neurological damages, and strokes. Young children, the elderly, and people with weak immune systems are the most common victims of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses. This mutation can easily survive on many surfaces, in many varying temperatures, and is easily spread. The abundance of this mutation is most likely due to the animals that provide the meat. The majority of the livestock, eat dead livestock, which can spread the mutation.

America was given the first look at the disgusting side of the meatpacking industry after the publication of Upton Sinclair's //The Jungle//. After the publication of this book, legislation was passed that required mandatory inspections of meat sold through interstate commerce. Ever since, the meatpacking industry has denied many of the allegations against them. Many other measures have been taken to promote food safety after Sinclair's book was published, however, a good portion of the regulations passed are eliminated by Republican's who take office. For years, the United States Department of Agriculture has allowed meatpacking executives determine when to recall ground beef, how much needs to be recalled, and who should be informed about it. Under the Clinton administration, the USDA adopted a science-based meat inspection system. Federal meat inspectors opposed this system, saying it diminished their authority to detect and remove contaminated meat. Even though the meatpacking industry has fought against every federal mandate on food safety, it has invested millions of dollars into new equipment to halt the spread of dangerous pathogens. Although this is helpful, both the USDA and the meatpacking industries fail to focus on the primary causes of meat contamination. Instead, they are implementing the use of irradiation, when gamma rays are used to zap microorganisms so they cannot reproduce. The American Medical Association and the World Health Organization have verified that the consumption of irradiated foods, however, many people do not want to eat things that have been exposed to radiation.

The plus side of the knowledge on the dangers of pathogens in your meat? There are standards for both cafeteria food and for fast food restaurants, many chains conduct frequent tests for E. coli O157:H7, and the enormous buying power of the fast food chains provide them with access to some of the cleanest ground beef. It is important for Americans to be careful with the meat they purchase in their own homes. Studies have shown that the average kitchen sink contains more fecal bacteria than the average toilet seat. Regardless, one should be careful in general, because E. coli O157:H7 is so easily spread, and not every individual restaurant lives up to the cleanest of standards.

__Facts__ http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/e/e_coli_food_poisoning/stats.htm 25,000 cases of E. coli food poisoning annually 2,083 per month, 480 per week, 68 per day, 2 per hour. http://www.bettermedicine.com/article/food-poisoning-1 Cause of food poisoning? Spread through food that have been contaminated with human or animal feces that contain infectious bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Symptoms? Abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Also affects the kidneys, liver, the nervous system, and the respiratory system.

http://www.safefoodinc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3&Itemid=11

__Opposing Viewpoints__

Feedlots and modern beef production methods did not encourage the emergence of E. coli O157:H7 as a foodborne illness. Bacteria, such as E. coli O157:H7 are found naturally in both the environment and in the intestines of healthy animals. The safety practices included in the production of ground beef provide us with an effective method of controlling foodborne pathogens in the meat supply. Millions of dollars are invested by these meat packing industries to develop new ways of eliminating pathogens. Changing the feed of cattle cannot eliminate or reduce the amount of E. coli O157:H7. This bacteria is capable of living in the stomachs of cattle, regardless of what they eat.