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Fast Food May Put You at Risk of Salmonella Poisoning
Natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola always reminds people to avoid eating fast food because it leads to many damaging health problems. Aside from containing fructose, unhealthy fats, and empty calories, processed fast foods are also loaded with chemicals and contaminants obtained from factory farms.
This issue has been highlighted in the recent announcement that Target and McDonald’s will no longer buy eggs from Sparboe Farms. This statement followed after the ABC News “20/20” investigation revealed the unhealthy conditions and animal abuse at the egg-laying facilities in the said farm.
ABC News reports:
“… The Mercy for Animals activist who went undercover to record the video inside Sparboe told ABC News chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross, “I saw workers do horrendous things to birds, they were thrown, grabbed by the neck, they’re slammed in and out of cages.”
Runkle said the video shows how health hazards can be linked to large scale, low-cost egg producers, so-called “factory farms.” … Sparboe executives told Ross the employees seen on the tape abusing the chickens were all fired.” (link)
Sparboe Farms has also violated at least 13 rules that were created to prevent dangerous salmonella outbreaks.
Restaurants and Fast Foods Get Their Supply from Factory Farms
Most fast food and restaurant chains get their food from farms that have confined animal feeding operations (CAFO). CAFO farms have a number of pervasive problems, such as lack of sanitation that leads to foodborne illnesses like salmonella poisoning. “The birds are often kept in cages that are stacked closely next to and on top of each other, promoting the growth and spread of harmful bacteria,” explains Dr. Mercola.
One clear proof is that the bacteria that caused the 2010 salmonella outbreak was traced to two major egg-producing facilities in Iowa.
“These are the factories you want to avoid purchasing your eggs from, and since they make up the bulk of eggs sold in the United States, this means finding an alternative source,” Dr. Mercola warns.
Small organic farms are actually less prone to salmonella contamination. According to infectious disease specialist William Schaffner: “The general thinking is that larger chicken farms are much more difficult to keep clean, and this makes it easier to transmit salmonella.”
Organic eggs are safer and healthier than CAFO-raised eggs. One study says that over 23 percent of farms with caged hens tested positive for salmonella. The highest salmonella occurrence was found in the largest flocks (30,000 birds or more) that have over four times the average salmonella level found in smaller flocks. Meanwhile, only four percent of organic flocks tested positive for salmonella (link).
Eat REAL Food Instead of Fast Food
The health hazards of a fast food diet may go beyond salmonella poisoning. This was vividly demonstrated by filmmaker Morgan Spurlock in his documentary Super Size Me, where he ate nothing but McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. After four weeks, his health had deteriorated so much that his physician advised him to stop the experiment or his life would be in serious jeopardy.
If you are really concerned about your health, you must always make sure to get sufficient nutrition. Keep in mind that your diet makes up at least 80 percent of the health benefits needed for optimal well-being (the remaining 20 percent comes from exercise).
Dr. Mercola says a healthy diet should contain fresh, whole organic foods that have been minimally processed. Here are some qualities of healthy foods:
- Grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides
- Do not contain chemical preservatives and artificial ingredients
- Not genetically engineered (GMOs)
- Fresh
- Not acquired from CAFO farms
- Grown or raised with the laws of nature in mind. Animals must be given their native diets and have free-range access to the outdoors
- Grown in a sustainable way
If the foods you eat meet these criteria, then you are definitely making the right choice. Keep in mind that real, organic foods – not fast food – are the ones you need to maintain your optimal wellbeing.
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Tags: cafo, confined animal feeding operations, Dr. Joseph Mercola, Dr. Mercola, joseph mercola, Mercola, organic eggs, salmonella, salmonella poisoning, salmonella risk
