COVID-19 in Slaughterhouses Prompts Plant-Based Eating
/Some of the United States’ largest abattoirs (processing plants or slaughterhouses) have been forced to cease operations temporarily after thousands of employees across the country have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
The meatpacking industry has always been notorious for poor working conditions for numerous years. In fact, the dangers of this industry were first exposed well over a hundred years ago by Upton Sinclair in his book The Jungle. The dangers of the meatpacking industry are prevalent even to this day as disclosed during the coronavirus crisis. For years, meat and poultry employees have among the highest illness rates of all manufacturing employees and are less likely to report injuries and illness than any other type of worker as reported by federal watchdogs [1].
Several meatpacking plants have been called out numerous times for refusing to let their employees use the bathroom, even to wash their hands. Hand washing is one of the best ways to help reduce the spread of the virus—failing to do so will surely have detrimental effects. Additionally, more than 150 of the nation’s largest meat processing plants are in counties where the coronavirus rate of infection is much greater than 75% of the counties in the nation. [1]
The problems with meat processing plants do not only take place in the United States but in many other nations around the world as well. For example, German slaughterhouses have been drawing attention for the cases of coronavirus found among their employees. In one such plant, over one-quarter of all employees have tested positive for the coronavirus which shows how poor the living and working conditions are. [2]
These German slaughterhouses are under fire for having insufficient precautionary measures—nothing new as shown by years and years of precedent. Therefore, the local health authority ordered the plant to be shut down for a couple of weeks at the minimum. [2] The largest pork processor in Europe, Danish Crown, also closed down as about 25% of their employees at a plant had contracted the virus. [3]
U.S. news papers in many states are showing very similar headlines as well. Such headlines include “Meatpacking plants are Nebraska's newest battleground in war against coronavirus.” This article reports that plants that employ thousands of workers and slaughter thousands of cattle, hogs and chickens have temporarily closed in states such as Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota after workers became sick and several died. [4]
Elsewhere, meatpacking companies have intensified concern among workers and public health advocates, who want to see plants shut down rather than just implement infection control measures. As a result, advocacy groups have called for the immediate closure of all slaughterhouses with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Even though many plants are reopening or planning to open, people are fed up with these inhumane conditions and the unethical treatments given by the meat processing plants to their employees. They are becoming more aware and mindful about the food they eat. According to a study by Nielsen, almost 40 percent of people now make an effort to eat more plant-based foods. [5]
Clearly, despite all the negativity surrounding the coronavirus, it is inspiring people to take action and make the change to a healthy plant-based lifestyle.
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