Food safety
Confinement
The factory farming system concentrates large numbers of livestock in confined spaces, leading to stress in the animals and higher susceptibility to disease. In confined hog barns there is a high level of ammonia and hydrogen sulphide in the air (both toxic gases) which the animals breath and metabolize constantly.Antibiotics
To prevent disease outbreaks, factory farms use antibiotics as a routine ingredient in feed.Growth hormones
In some cattle operations growth hormone implants are used to increase calves’ growth rate.Reproductive hormones
In hog operations reproductive hormones are used to control breeding cycles.Transportation
The transportation of livestock is another stressor which affects the health of the animals; as is the crowded conditions in assembly yards and holding pens.Distribution of tainted meat
Factory farms are designed to produce a constant supply of uniform inputs (that is animals for slaughter) to meat packing plants. These meat processing factories are large, centralized operations which collect animals from hundreds of miles around. The structure of centralized meat packing plants provides perfect conditions for mixing meat that is contaminated or diseased with good meat and efficiently distributing it into the retail system over a large geographic area.Ecoli 0157
is the deadly bacteria that contaminated Walkerton’s water supply. It can also poison meat if feces from infected cattle contaminate meat.Salmonella
is another meat borne pathogen. It is commonly resistant to several types of antibiotic, increasing its health threat to humans.Campylobacter jejuni
is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhea.Food irradiation
is being touted as a technical solution to the problem of meat contaminated with fecal matter — instead of improving the sanitation at meat packing plants or changing the way meat is processed, transported and handled to ensure it is wholesome.