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Pigs Lifespan and living conditions
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/06/pregnant-sows-gestation-crates-abuse ~ Stressed pigs become cannibalistic so factor farmers cut of their tails and break their teeth
~ Sows (female pigs) are pregnant 12 times over their 3-4 year life span. Spend their whole life in crates the side of a airline coach seat covered in urine and feces. Which causes illness and respiratory problems
~ 2010 Humane Society investigated a Smithfield factory farm
- poor air contaminated w/ ammonia chemical -
Health problems and antibiotics - effects on humans
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/animals-used-food-factsheets/pigs-intelligent-animals-suffering-factory-farms-slaughterhouses/ ~ Pork carries many food borne pathogens: study done one 256 pork samples from 36 different grocery stores and found 63% of samples were contaminated with " staphylococcus aureus bacteria"
~ hogs are fed antibiotics, sprayed with excessive amounts of pesticides ( stay in their system and are passed onto humans who eat it) -
Transporting terror
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/factory-farming/pigs/pig-transport-slaughter/ ~ more then a million pigs die every year during transportation: most become sick
~ no laws to regulate travel time, or proving food and water to pigs
~ no laws to regulate the voltage of electric rods used to get pigs into transport truck
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Slaughter
~ 10% of factory pigs die before making it to "killing floor"
~ dead pigs taken to rendering plant: grind up the meat and feed it back to other life stock
~ many hogs are improperly stunned (killed) and are still alive when moved to scalding hot water bath to remove hair and soft skin
~ How are 1,000 hogs humanely killed each hour? They aren't -
Corruption within Smithfield - US top Pork producer and why they must be stopped
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/boss-hog-the-dark-side-of-americas-top-pork-producer-20061214 ~ SF had to pay a $12.6 million fine for polluting Pagen River with contamination waste from slaughterhouse
~ single SF farm produced 26 million tons of toxic waste each year
~ average of 500,000 pigs per farm
~$11.4 billion is sales per year: would rather profit $ then provide their hogs with humane living conditions
~ "total vertical integration"
~taking business to Poland -
Undercover video at a Smithfield Farm
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Environmental hazards and Pollution
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/animals-used-food-factsheets/pigs-intelligent-animals-suffering-factory-farms-slaughterhouses/ ~ U.N Food and Agriculture Organization reports US meat industry is one of the most significant contributors to todays serious environmental problems
~ Agricultural runoff is #1 source of water pollution
~ only ones who see SF truth: local farmers who become sick from toxic order that fills the air for miles beyond factory farm- locals unable to drink.. -
What needs to change?
~food safety Laws
~meat inspection
~ humaine transport and living conditions
~ end factory farming
~ alternative to export waste
