The effect of COVID-19 on meat production and the search for a safer alternative protein
Over the past eight weeks, there has been an alarming number of new Covid-19 cases arising in commercial meat packing facilities worldwide. This is a global worry, with cases appearing in nearly every country. The hardest-hit countries have been the US and Brazil.
Brazil is now the largest meat producing country for export due to its sheer size and intensive beef farming sector. It is also at one of the epicenters for the virus right now, with over 775,000 active cases.
Many US meatpacking/processing plants were forced to shut temporarily and three of the biggest in the country were closed indefinitely accounting for 15% of the US pork production. This intern reduced the amount of pork slaughter capacity to 25% and a 10% percent reduction in beef slaughter capacity.
This is bad news for the meat industry as the demand for meat products in the US and for the US export market “Pre COVID” was at an all-time high.
As of May, almost half of the U.S.’s Covid-19 hot spots—counties with the highest infection rates--were directly linked to meat packing facilities. Currently, the USDA regulates about 6,500 meat packing plants, many of which have more than 500 employees. With over 300 food inspectors sick with Covid-19 or self-isolating, many inspections are not taking place. That means there is no one to ensure that health measures are strictly followed, implemented, or enforced. More worryingly, there are other facilities that are free to trade that are unregulated or poorly regulated and inspected due to years of deregulation.
In the first week of May, 10, 000 cases were recorded in meatpacking facilities across U.S. 29 states. Close to 180 facilities had all tested positive to the virus. Reports confirm at least 46 deaths. In the weeks that followed, even with new Covid-19 safety precautions in place the cases continued to rise to almost 16, 000. Pushing the death toll up into the early seventies.
Closer to home in Ireland, the HSE has just released their latest details on the total cases in its meat sector.
There have now been 1,054 cases of Covid-19 confirmed in meat plants. Fifteen factories are under "active investigation"; 20 facilities have had outbreaks. (Source)
As you can see this is a far less concerning number in correlation to the above-said countries. However, it is still an alarming statistic considering how much of our diet is still made up of protein sourced from animals.
Even before Covid-19, there have been many disturbing videos from US whistleblowers in all sectors of the meat production and processing industry, bringing to light the appalling working conditions and poor hygiene practices. From the videos, you can clearly see broken and unclean machinery, fixtures, and fittings which seem to be dilapidated which is -
Dangerous for all staff to use
A major biohazard due to bacteria buildup and dangerous pathogens.
The true reality of working at one of these packing factories is that the nature of the work is fast-paced, high volume, long hours, has cold and wet conditions, and is physically demanding. The majority of workers are from immigrant backgrounds and are working for minimum wage in unfair conditions in a low skilled job such as a production line results in issues from the following:
Heavy lifting, cutting, carrying - are activities in meat plants that could lead workers to breathe heavily or deeply, furthermore little or no personal space, working in close contact with colleagues who are shouting (expelling saliva particles) to be heard over noisy equipment. Shared communal and common spaces including amenities, toilets, showers and lockers, and sometimes even sleeping/ living quarters, cold wet conditions, poor sanitation, and substandard PPE.
When you think how many pieces of different meat products from different animals pass through each section of the production line per day and how many the average worker comes into contact with on one shift, it is easy to see how these cases of cross-contamination have skyrocketed. Mix Covid-19 in with the above factors and you have a recipe for disaster.
This unsafe workflow system results in a large number of cross-contamination cases, resulting in high numbers of sick staff and contaminated products, ready to be shipped out into the public. These viral infections are easily spread and can last for weeks on surfaces including inner meat and exterior packaging. Pre- Covid-19 there are still a number of foodborne pathogens such as E-coli and Salmonella which can and still do easily spread and contaminate foods.
These unsafe practices are one of the main reasons why the UK and EU do not accept imported meat from US producers. Most notably in the Poultry sector. You may have seen the negotiation talks after Brexit on these matters with the trade agreements that Mr. Trump proposed as part of his trade agreement with the UK and to which the UK public did not respond well.
New research has shown a considerable decrease in the amount of meat being consumed since the coronavirus has taken over. That means good news for the animals and for the environment.
In correlation the past three months have shown within the EU and UK markets there has been a significant rise in demand for insect-based products such as dried ground cricket flour and other dehydrated alternative protein snacks.
This is could be down to a number of reasons:
They offer a long shelf life and if stored correctly can last for many years.
They go through a meticulous drying and cooking process and are packed and tested numerous times for a range of pathogens within sanitary lab conditions.
They are a good option if you are looking to cut down on your exposure to going to the shops.
It can be used in a variety of different ways and is extremely versatile.
They also can boast a 74% complete protein source which is three times that of beef
They are packed full of essential fatty acids and loaded with nutrients including Vitamin D and E which have been proven to help fight against CoronaVirus by boosting the immune system.
Vegetarian, Vegan, and Flexitarian diets are also on the increase. Even some Vegetarians and Vegans are also turning to insects (Entovegan - someone that eats insects from a health and environmental standpoint and considers their values as still mostly Vegan) to provide them with a complete alternative and sustainable protein that incorporates vital nutrients such as Vitamin B12 which can be found in insects but not plant-based proteins. See the Nutritional Values of Cricket Flour.
However, some Vegans will still argue that it goes against their core values and principles, in terms of using animals for food, and the suffering, and pain inflicted on those creatures. They do need to accept that from a sustainability standpoint that insects are better for the environment than some of their plant-based proteins. I guess it is a personal choice and is down to the individual to decide where their morals lie and how they determine their ethics when it comes to food and health.
There are a number of different arguments for this that are out there already.
Crickets for instance are one of the most sustainable sources of protein in the world. They have almost no carbon footprint, use up barely any land due to vertical farming, almost no water, and require only a small amount of food which can be agricultural leftovers. They also produce some of the finest protein known to man and are a natural probiotic.
Studies have also shown that they do not feel pain in the same way that we do. Click for a link to an article that goes into more depth.
So if you're uncertain about where you get your meat from in this unsettling time or you would prefer to try a new sustainable alternative then why not give insects a try for yourself.
Hayden Smith.