Animal activists often proclaim that “meat is murder.”
A similar phrase, however, rings true as well: Meat is money.
In the United States alone, meat packing and processing generatesroughly $150 billionin revenue annually.
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By 2027, annual revenues are predicted to reach around$177 billion.
After all, Americans love meat.
Per theUSDA, the average U.S. citizen consumed 144 pounds of meat in 2017.
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That’s a lot of burgers and hot dogs!
The fact that red meat makes up such a large portion of so many American diets is especially worrying.
The meat industry may turn a big profit, but it’s also the definition of problematic.
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Here are five truths about the meat industry that will make you lose your appetite.
And don’t miss10 Truths About the Dairy Industry That Will Make You Lose Your Appetite.
Salmonella comes in a variety of strains, referred to as serotypes.
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The meat industry as a whole is a major contributor to global deforestation.
According toone reportfrom the World Resources Institute, beef production contributes to global deforestationfive times morethan any other commodity.
For example, let’s take major meat producer JBS for example.
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That’s half the size of NYC.
The image for the campaign was a jaguar speared by a fork.
Hot dogs are synonymous with summer, BBQs, and baseballwhat’s not to like?
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Well, a whole lot actually.
The main meat ingredient in hot dogs is something called “trimmings.”
Basically, hot dogs are made up of the meat no one else wants.
And those are just the usual ingredients!
Even worse, the meat industry had help from the highest levels of the government at the time.
Over 59,000 infections and at least 269 deaths were recorded among workers at those five companies in 2020 alone.
A previous version of this article was originally published on June 16, 2022.
