Beats me. But — according to Eric Schlosser, author of the well-known "Fast Food Nation" — they do. It’s an agricultural policy insisted on by so-called "conservatives," in fact.
Scholosser said this to Warren Olney, of the interview program "Which Way L.A.?" this evening, on the subject of the recall of 143 million pounds of beef. The recall is mostly meaningless, because it covers meat from the last two years, the vast proportion of which has already been eaten. Here’s Schlosser:
“I think the Clinton administration was making a sincere effort to try and impose some tough rules on the meat-packing industry, and it was the right wing of the Republican party in Congress that was blocking these proposals, again and again. Once President Bush took office, the meat-packing industry was essentially empowered. And it’s very difficult to tell the difference between USDA policy and the policy of the American meat-packing industry. It’s tragic, because this should be a non-partisan issue. All Republicans and Democrats have to eat, but the right wing of the Republican industry has very close ties to the meat-packing industry and has prevented any kind of meaningful reform.”
As seems to be the rule these days, numerous print exposes had zero influence on the public, but once a Humane Society investigator snuck a pen camera into a California slaughterhouse, and recorded "downer" cattle being blasted with water-hoses, hit in the eye with sticks, and pushed around by forklifts; well, imagine the outrage! Those with strong stomachs can see the cattle being abused here.
It’s these sort of horrors that have driven my family towards vegetarianism, led by our teenage daughter Emily. I’ve been dragging my feet, I confess, but her firm insistence has pushed me to find some good veggie recipes. Here’s a winner I found this fall, from Alice Waters underappreciated "The Art of Simple Food." It’s inexpensive, healthy, satisfying, and requires zero meat. Even dairy (parmesan cheese) is optional, and although chicken broth is helpful, a good vegetable broth will work just fine.
Curly Kale and Potato Soup
(makes two quarts: 4 to 6 servings)
Remove the tough stems from the leaves of:
1 LARGE BUNCH OF KALE, curly or Russian
Wash, drain well, and coarsely chop.
Heat in a heavy soup pol:
1/4 CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Add:
2 ONIONS, SLICED THIN
Cook over medium heat, stirring occsionally, until soft, tender, and slightly browned, about twelve minutes. [The more burned the darker the soup — but some like it better that way.]
While the onions are cooking, peel, cut in haslf, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices:
1 POUND POTATOES [pref. Yellow Finn or Yukon Gold]
When the onions are cooked, stir in:
4 GARLIC CLOVES, CHOPPED
Cook the garlic for a couple of minutes, then add the potatoes and chopped kale. Stir, then add:
A LARGE PINCH SALT
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add:
6 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH
Raise the heat, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the kale and potatoes are tender. Taste the soup and add more salt if necessary. Serve hot and garnish each service with:
EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PARMESAN OR OTHER HARD CHEESE, freshly grated.
Other variations: Add browned sausage, freshly-made croutons, or cooked white beans to soup shortly before serving.
Kit Stolz 