A study conducted by Iowa State University found that 70% of all swine confinement workers suffer from some form of respiratory illness or irritation.1
Researchers determined that 10% of swine confinement workers experience toxic organic dust syndrome (TODS) and 58% suffer from chronic bronchitis - this is three times higher than the incidence of chronic bronchitis among workers in conventional swine housing units.2
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, meatpacking is the most dangerous job in the U.S.; the rate of injury and illness among slaughterhouse workers is approximately 3 times higher than in the average US factory.3
According to the Centers for Disease Control, foodborne disease causes 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the U.S. every year.4
The USDA estimates that 70% of all foodborne illnesses in the U.S. can be traced to contaminated meat.5
In 1996, the USDA collected ground beef samples from meat processing plants around the U.S. and determined that 7.5% of these beef samples were contaminated with Salmonella, 11.7% were contaminated with Listeria monocytogens, 30% were contaminated with Staphylococcus Aureus, and 53.3% were contaminated with Clostridium perfringens.6
A 1998 study conducted by Consumer Reports revealed that 71% of store-bought chicken were contaminated with Campylobacter and/or Salmonella.7
The largest meat recall in U.S. history (27.4 million pounds of poultry) occurred in 2002, after an outbreak of listeriosis killed 20 people and sickened 120 others.8
In 1993, contaminated drinking water caused a cryptosporidium outbreak in Milwaukee that sickened 400,000 people and led to over 100 deaths.9
In 2000, poor diet and physical inactivity caused 400,000 deaths in the United States, second only to tobacco as the leading preventable cause of death.10
According to the CDC, in 2000, 64% of all adults in the U.S. were either overweight or obese.11
Experts estimate that the medical costs associated with obesity and overweight in the U.S. amounted to $92.6 billion in 1998.12
In 1999, the average U.S. citizen ate 273 pounds of meat. Average meat consumption in other industrialized countries was 170 pounds per person and average meat consumption in non-industrialized countries was only 60 pounds per person.13
In the U.S. , the average adult male consumes 154% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein; the average adult female consumes 127% of the RDA for protein.14
67% of the average American's total protein intake comes from meat and other animal products (the worldwide average is only 34%).15
According to the CDC, only 23% of American adults eat the recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.16
The USDA estimates that between 1970 and 2000, average daily calorie intake in the U.S. increased by 24.5%, or about 530 calories.17
1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant every day.18
It is estimated that antibiotic resistant bacteria cause U.S. health care costs to increase by $4 billion each year.19
Meat from pasture-raised animals is lower in calories and "bad" omega-6 fats and contains more of the "good" omega-3 and CLA fats that help fight disease and promote good health.20
Free-range chickens have 21% less total fat, 30% less saturated fat and 28% fewer calories than their factory-farmed counterparts.21
Eggs from poultry raised sustainably on pasture have 10% less fat, 40% more vitamin A and 400% more omega-3's.22
Recent studies indicate that certain organic crops contain higher levels of nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants including vitamin C, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and polyphenols.23
Sources:
1. Iowa State University . "Livestock Confinement Dust and Gases." Iowa State University ; University Extension. 1992.
2. Ibid.
3. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2001. p172
4. Mead, Paul S. et al. "Food-Related Illnesses and Death in the United States." CDC. 1999.
5. Shelton, D. "Sources of Pathogens in a Watershed: Humans, Wildlife, Farm Animals?" USDA/ARS position paper, April 2000. as cited in Brubaker, David. Industrial Animal Production in the United States. Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins University. 2000.
6. Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2001.
7. Consumer's Union. "Press Release: Consumer Reports Finds 71 Percent of Store-Bought Chicken Contains Harmful Bacteria" February 23, 1998.
8. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. "The Costs of Cheap Food." IATP. 2003.
9. Letson, David and Noel Gllehon. "Confined Animal Production and the Manure Problem." Choices. 1996: 3rd Quarter. P.18.
10. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). "Factsheet: Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000." CDC. 2004.
11. CDC. "Defining Overweight and Obesity." CDC. 2004.
12. CDC. "Economic Consequences of Obesity." CDC. 2004.
13. Horrigan, Leo, Robert S. Lawrence, and Polly Walker. "How Sustainable Agriculture Can Address the Environmental and Human Health Harms of Industrial Agriculture." Environmental Health Perspectives. Vol 110: 5. May 2002.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. CDC. "Five a Day Data and Statistics." CDC. 2002.
17. USDA. "USDA Fact Book 2001-2002." USDA. March 2003.
18. Supersize Me: A Film of Epic Proportions. "Supersize Me By the Lb." Accessed December 2004.
19. Keep Antibiotics Working. "Antibiotic Resistance: A Growing Health Threat to You and Your Family." Keep Antibiotics Working. August 2003.
20. Pollan, Michael. "This Steer's Life."The New York Times Magazine. Section 6. March 31, 2002.
21. Smith, Margaret, Mary Swalla and Jim Ennis. "Literature Review of Consumer Research, Publications, and Marketing Communications Related to Pasture-Raised Animal Products and Production Systems." Iowa State University, Iowa InterFaith Ministries and Midwest Food Alliance. Accessed July 2004.
22. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE). "Pastured Poultry Products: Summary." SARE. 1999. Worthington, Virginia. "Nutritional Quality of Organic Versus Conventional Fruits, Vegetables, and Grains." The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Vol 7: 2 2001. p 161-173.; Burros, Marian. "Is Organic Food Provably Better?" The New York Times. July 16, 2003.
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