4 American Meat Products That Are Banned Overseas

We Americans like to think we’re ahead of the game when it comes to just about everything, but the reality is, in many ways we aren’t. Think about it. We don’t require GMO labeling. And though we are the “land of the free,” the meat industry is trying to keep what goes on in factory farms and slaughterhouses a secret. Apparently we aren’t so free that we’re allowed to know where our food is coming from.

To top it off, we allow chemicals and drugs in our food. And the most shocking part is these chemicals and additives aren’t just in our processed junk foods. They can be found in our meat as well. Other equally advanced countries (possibly more advanced depending on your perspective) have banned many types of meat additives that the U.S. continues to use because of the negative impacts on human health. We truly must be the “home of the brave” if we are brave enough to eat this stuff.

1. Farm-Raised Salmon

That bright pink color that salmon is known for comes from the carotenoids in their natural diets. But we all know that factory-farmed animals eat a far from natural diet. In fact, farm-raised salmon actually has a gray tone. So what’s the solution? Rather than changing their diets to reflect why they would in the wild, we feed them “synthetic astaxanthin made from petrochemicals, which has not been approved for human consumption and has well known toxicities.”

Farm-raised salmon is banned in both Australia and New Zealand. Perhaps the U.S. should take the hint and do the same.

2. Arsenic-Laden Chicken

Not  surprisingly, though three out of the four arsenicals in chicken feed have were finally banned last year (only after the companies that make them voluntarily withdrew them from the FDA approval), one still remains in chicken feed.

The poultry industry claims that this arsenic compound has no adverse health effects on humans because it is “‘organic’ arsenic, which is arguably less toxic than than ‘inorganic’ arsenic, a known carcinogen.” They say this despite the fact that recent studies show that organic arsenic can convert to inorganic in animal tissues, also known as meat. This is even acknowledged by the FDA, yet they still make the absurd claim that it’s okay to eat. Anything to make a dollar, right?

What’s more, according to the Center for Food Safety, these arsenicals have never been approved by the EU, Japan and many other countries.

3. Antibiotic-Filled Meat

Though U.S. cattle have antibiotics coursing through their veins, other countries are simply not having it. In January of 2006, the EU banned all sub-therapeutic antibiotic growth promoters in animal feed. The hope is that the ban will “preserve the effectiveness of some antibiotics used to treat infections in humans.”

In July of 2011, South Korea followed suit and banned the antibiotic growth-supporters outright. For the previous six years, the country had been reducing the number of antibiotics it used as scientists discovered the side effects.

4. Ractopamine-Tainted Meat

What is ractopamine? It’s a growth-additive that increases protein synthesis. Though it’s easy to understand why this is a good thing for the meat industry, the fact remains that the EU, China, Taiwan, Russia and many more have banned ractopamine. This fact alone should be a sign that the stuff is no good.

“Data from the European Food Safety Authority indicates that ractopamine causes elevated heart rates and heart-pounding sensations in humans,” says Center for Food Safety. Let’s be honest, Americans do not need more heart issues. We’ve got enough as it is. The ractopamine label itself says that individuals with cardiovascular disease shouldn’t take it and that it’s not meant for human use. Yet it’s okay for our animals to eat. The same animals that many of us humans will eat. Even worse is that it’s not just one species eating ractopamine. Turkeys, cattle and pigs are all chowing down on it.

Since essentially every type of animal we eat is fed these nasty additives, it seems nearly impossible to escape the poison they’re trying to shove down our throats. Of course, we could just opt not to eat meat at all.

Image source: Jelle/Flickr