Could this be true? Stunned..... - Page 2

"Because animals are frequently shoved into the pit with flea collars still attached organophosphate-containing insecticides get into the mix as well. The insecticide Dursban arrives in the form of cattle insecticide patches. Pharmaceuticals leak from antibiotics in livestock, and euthanasia drugs given to pets are also included. Heavy metals accumulate from a variety of sources: pet ID tags, surgical pins and needles.

"Even plastic winds up going into the pit. Unsold supermarket meats, chicken and fish arrive in styrofoam trays and shrink wrap. No one has time for the tedious chore of unwrapping thousands of rejected meat-packs. More plastic is added to the pits with the arrival of cattle ID tags, plastic insecticide patches and the green plastic bags containing pets from veterinarians.

"Skyrocketing labor costs are one of the economic factors forcing the corporate flesh-peddlers to cheat. It is far too costly for plant personnel to cut off flea collars or unwrap spoiled T-bone steaks. Every week, millions of packages of plastic-wrapped meat go through the rendering process and become one of the unwanted ingredients in animal feed.

"The most environmentally conscious state in the nation is California, where spot checks and testing of animal-feed ingredients happen at the wobbly rate of once every two-and-a-half months. The supervising state agency is the Department of Agriculture's Feed and Fertilizer Division of Compliance. Its main objective is to test for truth in labeling: does the percentage of protein, phosphorous and calcium match the rendering plant's claims; do the percentages meet state requirements? However, testing for pesticides and other toxins in animal feeds is incomplete.

"In California, eight field inspectors regulate a rendering industry that feeds the animals that the state's 30 million people eat. When it comes to rendering plants, however, state and federal agencies have maintained a hands-off policy, allowing the industry to become largely self-regulating. An article in the February 1990 issue of Render, the industry's national magazine, suggests that the self-regulation of certain contamination problems is not working.

"One policing program that is already off to a shaky start is the Salmonella Education/Reduction Program, formed under the auspices of the National Renderers Association. The magazine states that ‘...unless US and Canadian renderers get their heads out of the ground and demonstrate that they are serious about reducing the incidence of salmonella contamination in their animal protein meals, they are going to be faced with...new and overly stringent government regulations.’

"So far, the voluntary self-testing program is not working. According to the magazine, ‘...only about 20 per cent of the total number of companies producing or blending animal protein meal have signed up for the program...’ Far fewer have done the actual testing.
"The American Journal of Veterinary Research conducted an investigation into the persistence of sodium pentobarbital in the carcasses of euthanized animals at a typical rendering plant in 1985 and found ‘... virtually no degradation of the drug occurred during this conventional rendering process...’ and that ‘...the potential of other chemical contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides and environmental toxicants, which may cause massive herd mortalities) to degrade during conventional rendering needs further evaluation.’

"Renderers are the silent partners in our food chain. But worried insiders are beginning to talk, and one word that continues to come up in conversation is ‘pesticides.’ The possibility of petrochemically poisoning our food has become a reality. Government agencies and the industry itself are allowing toxins to be inadvertently recycled from the streets and supermarket shelves into the food chain. As we break into a new decade of increasingly complex pollution problems, we must rethink our place in the environment. No longer hunters, we are becoming the victims of our technologically altered food chain.

"The possibility of petrochemically poisoning our food has become a reality."

Sorry it only let me post it in 3 messages, guess it was way too long for one post.

This just disgusts me in the worst possible way. I have been doing rescue a long time, and it just kills me to know I (along with the thousands and thousands of other rescues out there) will NEVER, EVER be able to make a dent. Between the back yard breeders (and people who are breeding "just because they feel their dogs are "special") and the strays that are already out there multiplying... this problem will never come to an end.  It is sad...... I wish every back yard breeder and irresponsible breeder, would be MADE to visit this plant and STAY FOR ONE WHOLE DAY .... that might change their opinion ... 

Months ago when I read that ,it reminded me of that old late 70's early 80's flick. Something Green. I thing Jeff Bridges was in it but it was so long ago and I was really young. Supposedly in the future, we put the old down and turn them into food for the rest of us. Gag. Anybody recall the full name of the movie or know what I am talking about?

This is why I feed RAW. I actually know what is going into the food. Eventually I will buy all natural, hormone free too.

Oh my GOD.........I am now completely disgusted.......I think I feel like puking.

I don't know why you are knocking it!  There are plenty of ethnic restaurants that would be mad to see these animals go to waste. That would be redicurous!

I rarely believe "facts" when they are presented by someone trying to sell me something. 

I am now sick beyond description.

4pack it wasy Soylent Green.  Not sure if I spelled it right but I remember it too.

The movie was "Soilent Green". I remember this because I had not seen the movie in years and never thought about it. Went into my first Wendy's to eat a hambuger. 1st bite that movie flashed thru my mind, did not eat, and I have never been back to Wendy's. Read a few years later, Wendy's has the least amount of meat in their burgers. Amazing what your mind/gut knows, even thou you do not understand it.