The internationally distributed daily newspaper, USA Today, recently published articles investigating the meat served to tens of millions of American children in school lunch programs. In the case of beef, the survey found that hamburger meat purchased for school lunch programs allows up to 10 times the amount of the deadly generic E. coli as does one fast food chain.

In the case of chicken, school lunches serve thousands of tons of meat from so-called “spent hens” of the egg-laying industry. These laying hens, who had been restricted to tiny filthy cages, often have infections at the time they are killed as well as osteoporosis with brittle bones that easily splinter and can contaminate the meat.

Each year in the US alone, tens of millions of people are sickened, and up to 9,000 die due to food poisoning caused primarily by bacteria such as E. coli, Campylobacter, and Listeria.

These animal-borne infections came to be known with the rise of industrial-scale livestock farms. The swine flu virus is also a product of these horrendously filthy, crowded facilities, and like food-borne bacteria, has killed many children.

In a swine flu update, an estimated 19,104 people have died worldwide. This total represents only a fraction of the tally if all actual occurrences could be tracked. Official national death tolls continue to climb, including India with  730 lost lives, Ukraine with 496, Formosa (Taiwan) with 35, and China with 373 who have perished.

Our sympathies to the loved ones of all victims of swine flu and other meat-related diseases. We thank USA Today and other officials who are looking into the important issue of safety standards for school lunches. May we tolerate such risks to our children’s health no longer, and instead ensure their highest vitality
through vegan-only fare.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-11-16-del-rey_N.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-12-08-hen-meat-school-lunch_N.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/14/content_12646429.htm
http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/order/?id=176526
http://www.news.az/articles/4574
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/12/finland_over_the_worst_of_swine_flu_1274064.html
http://en.rian.ru/world/20091213/157217403.html