(NaturalHealth365) Animal welfare groups have made us more aware of the “factory farms” that produce much of the U.S. meat supply.  We all know the gruesome images of overcrowding, poor environmental practices, and animal disease which highlight the negative impact of “modern” food production.

In addition, cases of animal cruelty have become well known and we now know that the overcrowding of animals being raised in these factory conditions often result in disease that kill off turkeys, chickens, pigs and other animals raised for their meat within the U.S.

What you may not be as familiar with is the high incidence of livestock disease.  Of course, according to “acceptable” practices, the solution is merely to pump up the animals with lots of pharmaceutical drugs.  In fact, new evidence shows that Merck is marketing an astounding 49 vaccines just for poultry to prevent diseases like E. coli, fowl pox, avian encephalomyelitis, bursal disease, and salmonella, to name a few.

More than 25 vaccines are marketing by the company to prevent various cattle diseases, not to mentioned their schedule of vaccines available for pigs.  But, here’s the kicker: none of these vaccines appear on the labels when you purchase meat.

Meat supply WARNING: Big pharma pushes vaccines to replace antibiotics in animals

We’ve long heard about the dangers of antibiotics in our meat. Through the years, livestock disease has evolved and the overuse of antibiotics has resulted in these drugs ceasing to work on both animals and people due to farm overuse.

Now, big pharma is pushing the use of vaccines to replace those antibiotics, and meat producers that choose vaccines can say that their meat contains “no antibiotics,” which plays to the concerns of health-conscious buyers.

Along with the increased prevalence of vaccine use on animals, U.S. meats are packed with hormones like melengestrol acetate, oestradiol-17, trenbolone acetate, and zeranol.  While the synthetic growth hormones have become central to American beef production, they’re the reason that Europe has been banning much of the U.S. meat supply for decades.

Currently, you won’t find the drugs used in American meat production on any label. This is surprising, since antibiotics in meat have been linked to superbugs, compromised gut bacteria, obesity, and more. Researchers have found links between oxidative stress and vaccines, and the addition of hormones come with their own health dangers.

Why organic grass fed meat is vital to consider

Hidden drugs in the U.S. meat supply should be enough to convince most people to begin making the switch to organic grass fed meat. Organic grass fed meat comes from animals who get to consume a natural diet and production requires following strict guidelines, which includes humane conditions.

Not only does organic grass fed meat help you avoid the antibiotics, vaccines, and hormones found in other traditionally-raised meats, but choosing organic grass fed offers a number of other nutritional and health benefits.

Organic grass fed meat contains more nutrients and the right ratio of fat content.  Other health benefits include a much lower risk of unwanted bacteria, such as salmonella, staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Clostridium perfringens.

Most people wouldn’t choose U.S. meats if they saw the drugs in them labeled clearly on the package. Don’t feed your family antibiotics, vaccines, and hormones for dinner. Instead, choose organic grass fed meat for a healthier, safer way to enjoy a protein-packed meal.

Maybe one day, government officials will decide to subsidize organic farming methods over toxic conventional practices.  But, until then, it’s up to us to choose wisely.  If possible, find a local farm – it’s much more cost effective and enjoyable to visit!

Sources for this article include:

Sentientmedia.org
CounterPunch.org
OrganicConsumers.org
Who.int