denis bider

Various thoughts

Chocolate flavored powdered meat

Posted Nov 12, 2010 at 13:23 by denisbider

Last edited Nov 12, 2010 at 14:10 by denisbider

diet empathy environment ethics health meat morality

Hello to another day in a world where the vast majority of the protein we need for our sustenance - as well as lots of superfluous protein that we don't really need, but it looks nice on our bodies - is derived from daily torture and slaughter of thousands, millions, literally billions of dairy and meat animals.

I probably don't have to go into details of what a lifetime of a dairy cow or farm chicken looks like. You know their life spans are short, nasty, and brutal.

Some time ago, I walked into a nutrition store, looking for protein powder. Among the most prevalent powders, which tend to be derived from milk, I noticed a conspicuous product called Carnivor. It's protein powder... made of beef.

If there was ever an abomination, this is it. This is pure, powdered evil.

You see, we can get far more protein per life-of-animal-suffering from dairy, than we get from slaughtered meat.

Over an average life span of 3 lactations, a dairy cow will produce 20,000 lbs of milk per lactation, for a total of 60,000 lbs of milk per cow. At 3.2g of protein per 100g of milk, this gives us 860 kg of protein, per cow lifetime.

Meanwhile, a slaughtered steer - male cow - yields an approximately 714 lb carcass, producing about 570 lbs of retail beef cuts. This gives us about 20 kg of protein per steer lifetime.

If you simply compare these figures, it's apparent that grinding a steer carcass into a mere 20 kg of protein powder - functionally equivalent to protein you could get from dairy, just 40 times less - is abhorrent, and a waste.

And in the end, this abominable product is fed to people who feel they're more manly if they drink chocolate-flavored powdered meat.

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Showing 6 out of 6 comments, oldest first:

Comment on Nov 24, 2010 at 12:14 by Anonymous

It gets even worse. Look at this: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/christien_meindertsma_on_pig_05049.html

Comment on Nov 25, 2010 at 01:47 by denisbider

Thank you for that link. Absolutely fascinating.

I'm not sure why you would phrase that with "even worse", however. Given that we are slaughtering animals on a vast scale, it is good to know that at least every little bit of them is finding a good use.

The tragic part for me is not so much that animals get killed and processed, it's the lives they live before that.

If the only permitted source of meat and animal products were from animals who lived a pampered existence from the very beginning to very end, I would think that sort of thing noble.

Of course, that would make all meat and animal products vastly more expensive, and I think that would be perfectly right.

I think it's unconscionable that you can currently buy an entire roasted baby goat for $50.

Comment on Nov 25, 2010 at 09:02 by Anonymous

"Even worse" because this is a catch 22: the more animals slaughtered, the more meat-based products are there and the bigger the meat industry. The more meat products, the more animals slaughtered.

So this chocolate meat powder is really just a side effect of maximizing profit out of animal misery.

For me, the tragic part of the story is that suffering is easily preventable, at least in theory. For example, hemp is one of the most versatile plants and has a superior usability compared to meat. Still, it is banned in most of the world. Plants are also much cheaper and healthier source of food than meat. It would be interesting to compare plant-based economy to meat-based economy in terms of total health and wealth, not just in terms of $/lb of protein.

Comment on Nov 26, 2010 at 18:42 by denisbider

I find it reasonable to say that a world where animals are used on a large scale for animal products and meat, but where those animals live happy lives, is preferable to a world where no such animals exist.

If our world was completely vegetarian, those cows and pigs would not be simply "better off". They would entirely cease to exist.

If the animal industry was required to ensure the animals' happiness and well-being during every stage of their lives, then the whole industry would become a good thing.

And we could still eat steaks. Just more expensive ones.

Comment on Dec 14, 2010 at 22:19 by Anonymous

This can be a very controversial subject in our world about food production whether it be the way animals are being raised and fed or the growing of fruit and veggies. Organics, Genetically modified and animals fed hormones and their own species causing even worse outcomes. Are we on the threshold of 2022 where SOYLENT GREEN is the norm? When you start to think about it, the possiblities can be quite frightening. It is good to have disscusion. Thank you Denis. I hope it is nice down their in St Kitts as the weather is bitterly cold here around the southern Great Lakes.

Denis B.

Comment on Feb 16, 2011 at 05:35 by Syd

Pure powdered evil. Ha! That is hilarious. Great points in your article Denis. Its sad the way that animals are treated like they are production part in a large factory.