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Call a halt to the conveyor belts of slaughter (From Bucks Free Press)
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Call a halt to the conveyor belts of slaughter
1:01pm Friday 3rd July 2009
TO put meat on the dining table, it is obvious that an animal has to die.
Most people want reassurance that the slaughter of these animals is painless, but the latest research by the Government’s own welfare advisory body, The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), makes for troubling reading.
They recently published a report into the slaughter of poultry in Britain, which says that there is no ideal way to kill animals for meat – which pretty much blows out of the water the myth of humane slaughter.
Staggeringly, in Britain each year we kill 853 million chickens, ducks and turkeys.
Most of these are on conveyor belts of slaughter, with often over 10,000 poultry dying each hour. FAWC is concerned that it would be difficult to guarantee the welfare of individual birds at this rate.
Many birds are live shackled (upside down) before slaughter, which they said can cause considerable pain and distress and should be phased out.
They were also gravely concerned that many birds could miss stunning altogether and have their throats cut whilst they are fully conscious. Incredibly, slaughtermen are issued with a licence for life and are never reassessed.
In cutbacks, the Meat Hygiene Service has stopped publishing data that shows compliance with animal welfare legislation.
You have to ask yourself, what exactly goes on behind the closed doors of the slaughterhouse and why is it not being recorded?
Every meat-eater has a responsibility to know what happens to the animals they eat.
However, as government continues to fail on welfare – and if you no longer want to be a part of this vicious cycle – you can end this suffering by simply not eating them.
The average Brit consumes 11,047 animals in their lifetime – that’s how many you could save by simply making the choice for life and go veggie!
Viva! is here to help. Simply ring us on 0117 944 1000, email info@viva.org.uk or write to Viva! at 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH.
Justin Kerswell, Campaigns Manager, Viva!
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Melanie1, Amersham says...
9:02pm Fri 3 Jul 09
To say that the average Brit could save 11,047 animals by not eating meat is misleading as these animals would either never have been born or would have been killed for pet food as they were surplus to requirements.
Perhaps you should campaign for people to only eat organic and/or locally produced meat. I only eat locally produced meat so that I am assured that the animals are not mass produced and mass slaughtered and have had a decent quality of life, able to enjoy the outdoors and have enough room to move around at their own will.
ferrellcat, the grass says...
3:44pm Sun 5 Jul 09
bakerbill, High Wycombe says...
8:20pm Mon 6 Jul 09
OllieNewbury, High Wycombe says...
11:40pm Mon 6 Jul 09
Our digestive systems are adapted to digest and absorb plants and animals. It is extremely difficult for a human to get all their required nutrients from plants alone (the same applies for meat and fish).
When my stomach stops producing pepsin and other protein digesting enzymes, I will stop eating meat.
Having said that, I do agree with the writer about animal welfare.
Spitfire, High Wycombe says...
11:11am Tue 7 Jul 09
It is not extremely difficult to get all the nutrients you need. It just requires a little extra thought for your diet. And a lot of meat eaters should put more thought into their diets too, if they want them to be balanced.
Steve of Penn, Penn says...
12:26pm Tue 7 Jul 09
"If God didn't want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of meat"
I have a digestive system evolved from millenia of consumption of vegetable and animal flesh.
I have teeth specifically evolved to hold, tear and grind flesh.
I am a human, I therefor am an omnivore. I do not eat just vegetables, and I do not eat just meat, I need both.
The only reason I can identify for creating a thread, asking everyone to eat only vegetables and fruit would be to cause debate, argument and friction.
All I can further say is, good attempt at trolling for argument, and mark your argument 3/10 (could try harder)
OllieNewbury, High Wycombe says...
3:06pm Tue 7 Jul 09
Spitfire wrote:I know that, but the fact is we are naturally designed to get some nutrients from meat.
Vegetables contain protein that requires pepsin to break down.
It is not extremely difficult to get all the nutrients you need. It just requires a little extra thought for your diet. And a lot of meat eaters should put more thought into their diets too, if they want them to be balanced.
Plants, in general contain little protein or fat.
Spitfire, High Wycombe says...
5:02pm Tue 7 Jul 09
Protein quantity generally isn't a problem for vegetarians but getting a complete mix of amino acids takes some dietary planning. Basically you have to eat some grains/cereals, nuts/seeds and pulses (lentils/beans) every few days to get the right mix of amino acids. Or just have an egg, quorn or tofu.
cressexpert, Cressex says...
8:59am Thu 9 Jul 09
demoness, High Wycombe says...
11:03am Thu 9 Jul 09
OllieNewbury wrote:What about pulses?
Spitfire wrote: Vegetables contain protein that requires pepsin to break down. It is not extremely difficult to get all the nutrients you need. It just requires a little extra thought for your diet. And a lot of meat eaters should put more thought into their diets too, if they want them to be balanced.I know that, but the fact is we are naturally designed to get some nutrients from meat. Plants, in general contain little protein or fat.
Also quorn.
Advocado is very high in fat - and where do you think most cooking oil is derived from?
KatiexMichaela, High Wycombe says...
1:17pm Fri 10 Jul 09
But if you think about it this way, we are all animals and even lions and tigers etc. eat other animals because we need the nutrients we get from eating meat.
Human beings should be having a varied diet of meat and vegitables. Plus plants are growing things, don't you think its cruel killing them by pulling them out of the ground etc. to eat them?
You could think about this in many ways, yes it is very cruel to kill animals, it is also very cruel to kill plants but all animals do that. Would a lion for example look at us and think mmm they look tastey but I cant eat them its cruel and they don't deserve it? I think they would just eat us anyway.
Spitfire, High Wycombe says...
10:49pm Sun 12 Jul 09
There is an excellent short story by Roald Dahl about plants feeling pain. I highly recommend this collection:
http://www.amazon.co
.uk/Best-Roald-Dahl/
dp/0140066942/ref=sr
_1_26?ie=UTF8&s=book
s&qid=1247435258&sr=
1-26
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Spitfire, High Wycombe says...
4:39pm Fri 3 Jul 09
I'm a veggie as it happens but I don't like people trying to force their beliefs on anyone else. Even if I agree with those beliefs.