Beyond Meat's PLT is advertised at a McDonald's in London, Ontario during a trial that ended in April. GEOFF ROBINS / AFP via Getty Images
McDonald's' ended a highly-publicized six-month trial of a meatless Beyond Meat burger April 6 without announcing any plans to continue or expand the partnership, CBC News reported Thursday. Instead, it simply removed the burger's information from its website.
<p>Beyond Meat's shares plunged as much as 10 percent following the CBC story, as investors had hoped for a permanent arrangement between the alternative <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat-consumption" target="_self">meat</a> company and the fast-<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/food/" target="_self">food</a> giant, according to <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/beyond-meat-stock-price-after-mcdonalds-ends-trial-vegetarian-canada-2020-6-1029343100" target="_blank">Business Insider</a>. McDonald's stock was also trading down one percent, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/25/beyond-meat-shares-fall-after-mcdonalds-ends-canadian-trial-of-meatless-burger.html" target="_blank">CNBC News reported</a>. And some customers also expressed disappointment.</p><p>"I was really upset because it's the only thing on the menu that I could eat," London, Ontario-based <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegan" target="_self">vegan</a> customer Jenna Walker-Cronk told CBC News. "I don't know how long it takes to get a product out, but I feel like, at this point, I'm not keeping my hopes up."</p>
<div id="c2b05" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b3585b3cd96f889d22261b7b980976f8"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1255271846888574978" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@aammyysmyth Hi there. Our Plant-Based Burger was being tested in several Markets until April 6th. We have no curre… https://t.co/UBEDYZdYeM</div> — McDonald's Canada (@McDonald's Canada)<a href="https://twitter.com/McDonaldsCanada/statuses/1255271846888574978">1588115104.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Both McDonald's and Beyond Meat insisted nothing about their relationship had changed.</p><p>"We're evaluating learnings from our recent test to inform future menu options," a McDonald's spokesperson told CBC News by email Thursday. "As we look ahead, we will plan to bring plant-based options to the menu at the right time for customers in individual markets."</p><p>Beyond Meat, meanwhile, said the trial had gone well.</p><p>"We can only comment generally and share that we were pleased with the test," Beyond Meat spokesperson Shira Zackai told CBC News by email Monday.</p>
<p>McDonald's ran two trials of the burger in dozens of restaurants in southwestern Ontario between September 30 of 2019 and April 6. It sold the burger as the PLT, for plant, lettuce and tomato, and said it was trialling the burger in Canada for a potential global rollout.</p><p>In a May earnings call, JPMorgan analyst Ken Goldman expressed doubt to Beyond Meat management about what the trial's end had meant, as Business Insider reported.</p><p>"[T]ypically if a test did well, the retailer wouldn't end it, they would expand it," Goldman said.</p>
<p>But Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown said that the lack of expansion did not necessarily reflect on the trial.</p><p>"I can assure you there's no issue with McDonald's ... this is a way it's been planned and the way it's being executed. And there's been no change at all," Brown said. "I can't promise you that we'll see a massive expansion tomorrow. But there's been no change in information since we began this test and got good results in the beginning and got good results at the end."</p><p>It is possible that the lack of immediate follow-up had less to do with the trial itself and more to do with the fact that it wrapped up in the midst of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic.</p><p>"It's pretty hard to sort of make a decision on rolling out a product across the world, or even across America, when you're in the middle of a crisis," Toronto-based retail consultant Bruce Winder, who wrote a new book called <em>Retail Before, During & After COVID-19</em>, told CBC News.</p>
<p>Still, McDonald's lags behind its competitors when it comes to meatless offerings in North America. It has yet to offer a plant-based burger in the U.S., while Burger King has been selling the Impossible Burger for almost a year, CNBC pointed out. Impossible Foods also signed a deal this week to sell breakfast sandwiches at Starbucks, <a href="https://m.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/mcdonalds-dumps-beyond-burgers-shares-tumble-2212336" target="_blank">Investing.com reported</a>.</p><p>"People are increasingly aware plant-based products are going to completely replace the animal-based products in the food world within the next 15 years. That's our mission. That transformation is inevitable," Impossible CEO Patrick Brown told CNBC's Jim Cramer June 23, according to Investing.com.</p><p>McDonald's, which offers meatless burgers in countries including Finland, Sweden, India, South Africa and Australia, has promised a meatless burger will eventually be on its general menu, CBC News reported.</p>
<p>But for now, its North American customers will have to wait.</p><p>"It feels like [McDonald's is] behind everyone," Walker-Cronk told CBC News. "There's basically nothing else that I can eat there except for the french fries."</p>
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Destruction of Nature Is Triggering Pandemics, Say Leaders of WWF, UN and WHO
17 June
Health + Wellness
Deforestation and wildlife habitat loss in Uganda. Ron Waddington / CC BY-SA 2.0
Leaders from three international NGOs — the United Nations, the World Health Organization and WWF International — teamed up to issue a stark warning that pandemics like the coronavirus are a direct result of the destruction of nature caused by humans.
<p>In an op-ed published by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/17/coronavirus-warning-broken-relationship-nature" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, top figures from each organization argued that the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a> trade, coupled with the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation">destruction of forests</a> and other habitats for wildlife, is causing a large number of animal diseases to migrate to human hosts.</p><p>The op-ed was written by Marco Lambertini, director general of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International; Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity; Maria Neira, director of the World Health Organization department of environment, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate change</a> and health.</p>
<p>In their call to action ahead of the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/article/Summit-on-Biodiversity-2020" target="_blank">UN biodiversity summit in September</a>, the three senior representatives cited examples from prior incidents of environmental destruction that triggered new viruses in humans.</p><p>"We have seen many diseases emerge over the years — such as Zika, AIDS, SARS and Ebola — and although they are quite different at first glance, they all originated from animal populations under conditions of severe environmental pressures," they wrote, adding those examples "all illustrate that our destructive behavior toward nature is endangering our own health."</p><p>As <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/17/coronavirus-live-updates-us/" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> noted, the novel coronavirus that has led to a global pandemic likely started in a bat — the same host that was also linked to SARS, Ebola and MERS, among other viruses.</p>
<p>The three authors call for a green and healthy recovery in the wake of COVID-19. They note the importance of ending farming practices that destroy nature and the need to reform <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat-consumption">meat-intensive diets</a>. And yet, they're watching the world go the wrong way.</p><p>"Worryingly, while COVID-19 has given us yet another reason to protect and preserve nature, we have actually seen the reverse take place," the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/17/coronavirus-warning-broken-relationship-nature" target="_blank">authors write</a>. "From the Greater Mekong to the Amazon and Madagascar, alarming reports have emerged of increased poaching, illegal logging and forest fires, while many countries are engaging in hasty environmental rollbacks and cuts in funding for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a>. This all comes at a time when we need it most."</p>
<p>A <a href="http://panda.org/pandemics" target="_blank">WWF report</a> titled <em>COVID 19: urgent call to protect people and nature</em> was also published Wednesday. It warns: "The risk of a new [wildlife-to-human] disease emerging in the future is higher than ever, with the potential to wreak havoc on health, economies and global security," as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/pandemics-destruction-nature-un-who-legislation-trade-green-recovery" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.oceanographicmagazine.com/news/wwf-urgent-global-action/" target="_blank">Oceanographic Magazine</a> reports, the <a href="http://panda.org/pandemics" target="_blank">WWF report</a> shows that 60 to 70 percent of new diseases since 1990 started in wildlife. During the same time period, an area of forests measuring roughly seven times the area of the UK has been destroyed.</p><p>"We must urgently recognize the links between the destruction of nature and human health, or we will soon see the next pandemic," said Lambertini, in a WWF <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/press_releases/?364416/Conditions-are-rife-for-next-pandemic-unless-urgent-action-is-taken-WWF-warns" target="_blank">press release</a> that accompanied the new report. "There is no debate, and the science is clear; we must work with nature, not against it. Unsustainable exploitation of nature has become an enormous risk to us all."</p>
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Ground beef on sale at Walmart, one of the stores impacted by a nationwide recall, in Marietta, Georgia on Jan. 16, 2013. Photo courtesy of the city of Marietta
New Jersey-based Lakeside Refrigerated Services is recalling nearly 43,000 pounds of ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli.
<p>The beef was sold at Walmart, among other grocery stores, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ground-beef-recalled-from-walmart-grocers-e-coli-2020-6" target="_blank">Business Insider reported</a>. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2020/recall-012-2020-release" target="_blank">announced</a> the recall Saturday. It comes as the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic has raised <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/meat-shortages-coronavirus-slaughterhouses-2645861788.html" target="_self">concerns</a> about the national <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat" target="_self">meat</a> supply and sickened <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/food/" target="_self">food</a> safety inspection workers.</p><p>"FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers," the agency wrote. "Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."</p>
<div id="acd07" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a4b2fa2ea9af06ce67e981e336398160"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1271974488339603458" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">#Recall: Lakeside Refrigerated Services Recalls Beef Products due to Possible E.coli O157:H7 Contamination https://t.co/NkQ9MiBqjC</div> — USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service (@USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service)<a href="https://twitter.com/USDAFoodSafety/statuses/1271974488339603458">1592097324.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The recalled beef was produced June 1 and has an establishment number of "EST. 46841." Approximately 42,922 pounds of beef were affected. Impacted brands include Marketside Butcher and Thomas Farms, and the products were shipped to grocery stores across the country including Walmart.</p><p>"As soon as we were notified by Thomas Foods of the recall, we immediately began the process of alerting our stores and distribution centers to remove the affected product from our store shelves and inventory, including a sales restriction," the retail chain said in a statement reported by Business Insider. "Customers who have purchased the items identified in the recall should dispose of the product and return to their nearest Walmart for a full refund."</p>
<p>FSIS provided a detailed list of the recalled products:</p><p>1-lb. vacuum packages containing "MARKETSIDE BUTCHER ORGANIC GRASS-FED GROUND BEEF" and a use or freeze by date of 07/01/20 and lot code P53298-82.</p><p>1-lb. vacuum packages containing four ¼ lb. pieces of "MARKETSIDE BUTCHER ORGANIC GRASS-FED GROUND BEEF PATTIES" and a use or freeze by date of 06/27/20 and lot code P53934-28.</p><p>3-lb. vacuum packages containing three 1 lb. pieces of "MARKETSIDE BUTCHER ORGANIC GRASS-FED GROUND BEEF 93% LEAN / 7% FAT" and a use or freeze by date of 07/01/20 and lot code P53929-70.</p><p>1-lb. tray packages containing four ¼ lb. pieces of "THOMAS FARMS GRASS-FED GROUND BEEF PATTIES 85% LEAN / 15% FAT" and a use or freeze by date of 06/25/20 and lot code P53944-10.</p><p>4-lb. tray packages containing 10 ¼ lb. pieces of "THOMAS FARMS GRASS-FED GROUND BEEF PATTIES 80% LEAN / 20% FAT" and a use or freeze by date of 06/25/20 and lot code P53937-45.</p><p>1-lb. vacuum packages containing four ¼ lb. pieces of "THOMAS FARMS GRASS-FED GROUND BEEF PATTIES 85% LEAN / 15% FAT" and a use or freeze by date of 06/27/20 and lot code P53935-25.</p><p>1-lb. vacuum packages containing "VALUE PACK FRESH GROUND BEEF 76% LEAN / 24% FAT" and a use or freeze by date of 07/01/20 and lot code P53930-18.</p>
<p>The potential contamination was discovered during a routine FSIS inspection and there have been no confirmed cases of anyone falling ill from eating the product.</p><p>Most people infected with E. coli O157:H7, the particular strain identified, fall ill two to eight days after eating contaminated food. Symptoms include dehydration, bloody diarrhea and stomach cramps. Most people recover within a week, but some can develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a kind of kidney failure signposted by bruising, decreased urination and pallor. Children under five and older adults are especially at risk.</p><p>"Persons who experience these symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately," FSIS advised.</p>
<p>The recall comes as the coronavirus has added new safety concerns for the U.S. meat industry. Crowded working conditions have led to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tyson-pork-plant-closes-coronavirus-2646123888.html" target="_self">several outbreaks</a> at U.S. meatpacking plants. As of mid-May, almost half of the virus hotspots in the U.S. were linked to such plants, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/15/us-coronavirus-meat-packing-plants-food" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>. The virus has killed at least 30 plant workers and more than 10,000 have been sickened or exposed. The risk has also spread to food safety inspectors. As of May 15, four had died and almost 300 had taken time off work due to illness or potential exposure.</p>
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A Tyson plant in Wallula, Washington that has also seen a coronavirus outbreak. David Ryder / Getty Images
A Tyson Foods pork plant in Storm Lake, Iowa announced it would close Thursday after more than 20 percent of its workforce tested positive for the new coronavirus.
<p>The closure comes about a month after President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-orders-meat-plants-open-coronavirus-2645870365.html" target="_self">issued an executive order</a> for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat" target="_self">meat</a> processing plants to stay open despite virus outbreaks at several slaughterhouses. Those outbreaks led to the closure of around 20 plants in April, <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-meatpacking/tyson-foods-will-shut-us-pork-plant-as-more-workers-catch-covid-19-idUKKBN23434R" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p>Tyson Foods announced the closure late Thursday, hours after the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) had confirmed 555 coronavirus cases at the plant out of a workforce of 2,517, the <a href="https://eu.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2020/05/28/coronavirus-outbreak-confirmed-tyson-foods-storm-lake-pork-processing-plant-kim-reynolds/5274618002/" target="_blank">Des Moines Register reported</a>.</p>
<div id="3910f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6549fd2dd2cb8add3af93c9edac813da"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1266044429732888576" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">This is out of 2,517 tested, equalling 22% of the workforce at Tyson Pork so far.</div> — The Storm Lake Times (@The Storm Lake Times)<a href="https://twitter.com/SLTimes/statuses/1266044429732888576">1590683488.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"I honestly feel like the company has failed its employees," Storm Lake League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa Vice President Mayra Lopez told the Des Moines Register. "With 555 cases confirmed, that seems pretty steep."</p><p>Lopez, who has friends and family among the plant's many minority workers, said that she had heard of employees waiting up to a week for coronavirus test results.</p><p>"By the time they get the results, it could be too late and they've passed it on to someone else," she said.</p><p>Tyson Foods said that the closure was due to a delay in testing results and the absence of employees due to quarantine. It said it would stop slaughtering and finish all processing over the next two days.</p><p>"Additional deep cleaning and sanitizing of the entire facility will be conducted before resuming operations later next week," the company said in a press release reported by the Des Moines Register.</p>
<p>The incident has added to concerns about employee safety in meatpacking plants forced to remain open despite the fact that crowded working conditions make social distancing difficult. Tyson said it implemented wide scale testing at the Storm Lake plant and required employees to wear masks, but the <a href="http://www.ufcw.org/" target="_blank">United Food and Commercial Workers International Union</a> (UFCW) said that meat companies and the Trump administration could do more to protect workers, Reuters reported. More than 3,000 U.S. meatpacking workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and 44 have died, the union said.</p><p>"Too many workers are being sent back into meatpacking plants without adequate protections in place, reigniting more outbreaks in the plants and our communities," Nick Nemec, a South Dakota farmer who is part of an advocacy group that works with UFCW, told Reuters.</p><p>Previously, coronavirus outbreaks had forced Tyson Foods to shutter plants in Waterloo, Columbus Junction, and Perry, Iowa, as well as in Dakota City, Nebraska; Logansport, Indiana; and Pasco, Washington, according to the Des Moines Register. However, most of those plants have since reopened, <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/resilience/natural-disasters/500016-555-workers-at-tyson-foods-facility-in-iowa" target="_blank">The Hill reported</a>.</p>
<p>In April, Tyson Chairman John Tyson <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/meat-shortages-coronavirus-slaughterhouses-2645861788.html" target="_self">warned</a> that "the food supply chain is breaking." The warning preceded Trump's executive order by two days.</p><p>However, a recent <a href="https://foodandwaterwatch.org/" target="_blank">Food and Water Watch</a> <a href="https://foodandwaterwatch.org/news/USDA-spent-memorial-day-weekend-distorting-meat-production" target="_blank">report</a> has cast doubt on industry claims of shortages. It found that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that cold storage of beef, pork, chicken and turkey was up 2.1 percent in April 2020 compared with April 2019. Further, meat exports have been on the rise in May.</p><p>At the same time, plants have persisted in switching to the New Swine Inspection System, which allows fewer inspectors and faster slaughter speeds. Plants that have switched to this system have seen increased coronavirus cases. One such plant in Guymon, Oklahoma reported 440 cases, the most in the state.</p>
<div id="d73f4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0d3bbf61d6982ac74705a73c51f9c22d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1265764789948764161" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The USDA's warning of an impending meat shortage was false.
"Claims of impending food shortages are hogwash — meat… https://t.co/1aCs8HtVNM</div> — Food & Water Watch (@Food & Water Watch)<a href="https://twitter.com/foodandwater/statuses/1265764789948764161">1590616817.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"The USDA itself is showing that industry claims of impending food shortages are hogwash — meat exports are actually increasing and cold storage stockpiles of meat are growing. Meanwhile, the numbers of workers in deregulated plants are proving for us the importance of meat slaughter line speed caps and federal meat inspection," senior government affairs representative for Food & Water Action Tony Corbo said in a statement. "USDA should take a long, hard look in the mirror and reverse course immediately by forcing industry to cap line speeds, follow federal inspection guidelines, mandate worker safety protocols, and keep plants closed as long as necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19."</p>
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Tempeh skewers made from soybeans. AmalliaEka / Getty Images
By Jeannette Cwienk
After the coronavirus spread through a number of slaughterhouses in Germany and the United States, some people might be asking themselves how they can replace meat in their diets.
<p><br/></p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/6-of-the-most-sustainable-meat-alternatives/a-53425695?maca=en-VAM_volltext_ecowatch-28485-html-copypaste" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2645998363#/" target="_self"></a></p>
<p>Perhaps they're worried that meat production could collapse if facilities are in lockdown. Or maybe ethical reasons are their main concern.</p><p>The recent revelation that more than 200 workers at a slaughterhouse in western Germany were infected with COVID-19 has <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-modern-slavery-at-the-heart-of-german-slaughterhouse-outbreak/a-53396228" target="_blank">shed light on the catastrophic working conditions</a> in industrial meat production. But it's no secret that the sector harms people, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/do-vegans-help-prevent-climate-change/a-49992593" target="_blank">the environment and the climate</a>, not to mention the suffering of animals.</p><p>Some 14.5% of human-produced global greenhouse gases <a href="http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/resources/en/publications/tackling_climate_change/index.htm" target="_blank">come from the meat production industry</a>. Farm animals and their waste also cause significant environmental damage: cattle produce methane gas that negatively impacts the climate, while enormous quantities of liquid manure put groundwater at risk.</p><p>But meat consumption is increasing worldwide — even in developing countries. And the losses in nutrients are alarming. For example, 11 kilograms (24 pounds) of plant protein are required to feed an animal to get 1 kilogram of protein in the form of meat.</p><p>There are many <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/vegan-meat-the-future-of-planet-saving-plant-based-eating/a-51054861" target="_blank">alternatives to steak and sausages from animals</a> — and most of them are lower in calories, contain no cholesterol, and keep you full for longer.</p>
1. Soy Products: Schnitzel, Tofu, Tempeh
<p>The typical meat substitute in supermarkets in Europe, North America and Australia comes from soy. From burgers and goulash to sliced meat, sausages and cold cuts — a variety of products are seasoned and shaped to resemble animal products. In its native Asia, soy is mostly consumed as the fresh bean, edamame, or as tofu and tempeh.</p><p>The protein content of dried soybeans is significant — about 35-40%. On top of that, the bean contains several essential amino acids that the body needs to absorb protein. But it's also important to point out that the beans' protein content drops to about 12% after cooking. Tofu contains 7-15 grams, while tempeh and soy strips contain 18-20%.</p><p>Besides protein, soybeans also contain many unsaturated fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. By comparison, 100 grams of raw pork has about 18% protein, according to the GU nutrition table.</p><p>Given that 80% of the world's soybean cultivation <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/soy" target="_blank">comes from the United States, Argentina and Brazil</a>, the bean usually travels some distance before it's consumed. But the argument that the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/protecting-paraguays-forests-from-cows-and-soy-farms/a-16700031" target="_blank">rainforest is being cut down for tofu makes little sense</a>, because 80% of the world's soy production is actually used as animal feed. </p><p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/eu-reaps-healthy-yield-from-us-china-soybean-spat/a-44923688" target="_blank">Farmers in Europe are now also growing soy</a>, although the conditions aren't ideal — the beans come from the subtropics, and so need a warm, humid environment to thrive. Soybeans require less water than meat production, but don't score as well on that front compared to some other legumes. </p>2. Lupins
<p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/6-of-the-most-sustainable-meat-alternatives/a-53425695?maca=en-VAM_volltext_ecowatch-28485-html-copypaste" target="_blank">Meat alternatives made from sweet lupins</a> are becoming more popular in Germany, with shredded lupin or lupin steak no longer a rarity on supermarket shelves. Lupins are most commonly used, however, as a substitute for milk, yogurt or eggs. They're also used in gluten-free baking products because they contain no gluten.</p><p>Lupins have an impressively high amount of protein: the plant's dried beans contain at least 40%, as well as various vitamins and minerals. Unlike soybeans, lupins can cope with a dry climate and grow well in lime and sandy soils. That means conditions in Europe are better suited to lupins than soybeans.</p>3. Beans and Beyond
<p><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/can-pulses-conquer-palates-and-save-the-planet/a-19277439" target="_blank">Beans, lentils and peas also have protein in spades</a>. In their dry form, green peas contain around 23%, but that amount shrinks to 8% during cooking. Most types of beans contain 8-10% protein after cooking — more than half that of pork. These legumes aren't available as sausages or cutlets — at least not yet anyway. Still, a bean-based chili sin carne promises a decent amount of protein, as does a spread made from brown lentils instead of Leberwurst, or liver pate. Add green spelt grain, spelt or oat-flakes (17% protein) to this spread, and it becomes even healthier, as well as tasty. That's because these cereals, nuts and seeds are ideal for the absorption of protein.</p><p>All legumes, including soybeans and lupins, have a positive effect on the soil they grow in. They hardly need any fertilizer, since they draw nitrogen from the air with the help of nodule bacteria. They also enrich the earth with humus.</p>4. Seitan – Wheat Protein
<p>This meat substitute consists of wheat gluten. Its slightly fibrous texture means it is mainly used for ready-made meat alternatives. It's produced by mixing flour and water into a dough, followed by repeated rinsing to remove starch until only the protein mass remains. </p><p>As with tofu, a large amount of the vitamins and minerals are lost during this process. And then there are the many flavorings and thickeners that often get added. One advantage Seitan has over soy, though, is that the wheat or spelt it comes from can be grown in many parts of the world.</p>5. Sunflower Seeds
<p>This type of "ground meat" comes from the remnants of sunflower seeds after they've been pressed to extract oil. It contains large amounts of protein, all the essential amino acids and many B vitamins.</p><p>All nuts and seeds generally have a very high protein content. Hemp seeds top the list with more than 31%, closely followed by pumpkin seeds, peanuts (26%), almonds (21%) and sunflower seeds (19%). Nuts and seeds also contain valuable unsaturated fatty acids. This also makes them a good source of energy, in their unpressed form.</p>6. Quorn
<p>This meat substitute, known as Quorn, is made from fermented mold fungus, with added vitamins and egg protein. </p><p>Vegetarians can enjoy it fried, for example, but for vegans this highly processed product isn't an option. Still, its climate footprint is likely smaller than that of a steak, if only because the production of eggs doesn't consume as many resources as that of meat. </p>The B12 Problem
<p>Despite all the advantages that come with plant-based meat substitutes, one essential nutrient is missing: vitamin B12. Only animal products can provide sufficient bioavailable levels of it. The <a href="https://www.dge.de/en/" target="_blank">German Nutrition Society</a> recommends an intake of 3 micrograms per day. That's the equivalent of about 100 grams of beef or salmon, 150 grams of cheese, or half a liter of whole milk. That means those who don't eat animal products have to resort to food supplements to get their daily B12 dose.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) take part in the first night of the Democratic presidential debate on June 26, 2019 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
The dangers of working shoulder-to-shoulder in a meat processing plant have come to the forefront as the novel coronavirus has exposed the fragility of the meat industry's supply chain. Factory farming is also resource intensive, leading to deforestation and fueling the climate crisis. It also accounts for 99 percent of the meat that Americans consume.
<p>Last week, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) joined Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) to co-sponsor a bill to put an end to factory farming, as <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/496661-booker-renews-push-to-phase-out-factory-farming-by-2040-after-pandemic-hits" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reported.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/factory-farming-cory-booker-2641652004.html" target="_self">Farm System Reform Act</a> was first proposed by Booker in December. It aims to put a stop to any new factory farms and the monopolistic practices in the industry. It would hold concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) responsible for their environmental impact. Warren agreed to co-sponsor the bill after several incidents of unsafe working conditions and outbreaks of COVID-19 in the meatpacking industry, according to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/elizabeth-warren-cory-booker-join-forces-bill-ban-most-factory-farming-2040-1502699" target="_blank">Newsweek</a>. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is also co-sponsoring the effort and has introduced companion legislation to the House.</p>
<p>"For years, regulators looked the other way while giant multinational corporations crushed competition in the agriculture sector and seized control over key markets," Warren said in a statement, as <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/elizabeth-warren-cory-booker-join-forces-bill-ban-most-factory-farming-2040-1502699" target="_blank">Newsweek</a> reported. "The COVID-19 crisis will make it easier for Big Ag to get even bigger, gobble up smaller farms, and lead to fewer choices for consumers."</p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the tight control that a handful of companies have on the entire meat supply chain. As Booker's office noted in a <a href="https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/as-pandemic-exposes-major-weaknesses-in-meatpacking-industry-sen-warren-rep-khanna-cosponsor-sen-bookers-farm-system-reform-act-to-fix-broken-system" target="_blank">statement</a>, "four companies control nearly 85 percent of the US beef market. Pork and chicken supply are similarly consolidated. Such concentration makes the food chain extremely fragile."</p>
<p>As <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/496661-booker-renews-push-to-phase-out-factory-farming-by-2040-after-pandemic-hits" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reported, the legislation directly targets multinational meat producing giants, like Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods and JBS, all of which had severe coronavirus outbreaks among workers in the last month. Those outbreaks have led to fears of a meat shortage in the U.S., as Costco and Kroger have limited how much beef customers can buy, and some Wendy's chains ran out of hamburger patties.</p><p>In response to the shuttered meat processing facilities, President Trump used the Defense Production Act to keep plants with outbreaks open despite the risks for employees, who often work side-by-side.</p>
<p>However, Booker noted that the problems in the meat industry existed well before the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>"Our food system was not broken by the pandemic and it was not broken by independent family farmers. It was broken by large, multinational corporations like Tyson, Smithfield, and JBS that, because of their buying power and size, have undue influence over the marketplace and over public policy," Booker said in a <a href="https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/as-pandemic-exposes-major-weaknesses-in-meatpacking-industry-sen-warren-rep-khanna-cosponsor-sen-bookers-farm-system-reform-act-to-fix-broken-system" target="_blank">statement</a>. "That undue influence was on full display with President Trump's recent executive order prioritizing meatpacker profits over the health and safety of workers."</p><p>Under the Farm System Reform Act, the largest CAFOs would be phased out entirely by 2040. Medium and small-sized operations would not be prohibited, although voluntary buyouts would be offered for farmers who want to cease factory farming, as <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/elizabeth-warren-cory-booker-join-forces-bill-ban-most-factory-farming-2040-1502699" target="_blank">Newsweek</a> reported. The bill would also invest $100 billion over ten years to help CAFO owners transition to more sustainable forms of agriculture.</p><p>"Giant meatpackers cannot be permitted to continue to profit off of the labor of family farmers, consolidating the food industry to the point that our supply chain is threatened," said Khanna, as <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/496661-booker-renews-push-to-phase-out-factory-farming-by-2040-after-pandemic-hits" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reported. "Congress must step in to ensure an honest market, or risk losing another historic industry to the hands of big corporations."</p>
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Beyond Burger in the fresh meat section of a supermarket on July 10, 2019. UBC Media Relations / CC BY 2.0
While meat processing facilities shut down and cause shortages in the beef and pork supply chains, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are seeing a spike in sales during the coronavirus pandemic, as The Hill reports.
<p>Beyond Meat has seen its shares soar 134 percent since mid-March, as retailers request rushed deliveries to refill shelves across the country, a company spokesperson said, as <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/impossible-foods-beyond-meat-see-spike-in-demand-as-coronavirus-wreaks-havoc-on-meat-supply-2020-05-05" target="_blank">Marketwatch</a> reported. Beyond Meat shares shot up 26 percent in trading Wednesday.</p><p>A 141 percent jolt in first-quarter revenue and profit "exceeded our expectations despite an increasingly challenging operating environment due to the COVID-19 health crisis," said Ethan Brown, chief executive of Beyond Meat, in a <a href="https://investors.beyondmeat.com/news-releases/news-release-details/beyond-meatr-reports-first-quarter-2020-financial-results?mod=article_inline" target="_blank">statement</a> announcing the results, as <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/impossible-foods-beyond-meat-see-spike-in-demand-as-coronavirus-wreaks-havoc-on-meat-supply-2020-05-05" target="_blank">Marketwatch</a> reported.</p>
<p>Similarly, Impossible Foods, which is not a publicly traded company, announced that demand for its Impossible Burger has "skyrocketed among home chefs," according to <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/5/5/21247286/plant-based-meat-coronavirus-pandemic-impossible-burger-beyond" target="_blank">Vox</a>. It will start selling its burgers at Kroger's 1,700 stores nationwide, a huge increase from the 150 stores that sold its burgers at the start of 2020. In total, its <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegan">plant-based</a> meat is available at 2,700 U.S. grocery stores, including Albertsons, according to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andriacheng/2020/05/05/with-crimped-animal-meat-supply-coronavirus-may-open-big-consumer-appetite-for-plant-based-meat-from-beyond-meat-impossible-foods/#7bf6ad662920" target="_blank">Forbes</a>.</p><p>"Our existing retail partners have achieved record sales of Impossible Burger in recent weeks," said the company's president, Dennis Woodside, in a statement, as <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/5/5/21247286/plant-based-meat-coronavirus-pandemic-impossible-burger-beyond" target="_blank">Vox</a> reported. "We expect our retail footprint to expand more than 50-fold in 2020 alone, and we are moving as quickly as possible to expand with additional outlets and in more retail channels."</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/5/5/21247286/plant-based-meat-coronavirus-pandemic-impossible-burger-beyond" target="_blank">Vox</a>, the way Impossible Foods manufactures its products protects it from the worst of the pandemic. "Its supply chain is obviously unaffected by recent meat plant closures, and its workers are not contracting Covid-19 at high rates because they do not have to work shoulder to shoulder like their meatpacking counterparts."</p><p>"We've always planned on a dramatic surge in retail for 2020 — but with more and more Americans eating at home under 'shelter-in-place' orders, we've received requests from retailers and consumers alike," Impossible Foods President Dennis Woodside said in a statement, as <a href="https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/496334-demand-for-plant-based-meat-soars-during-coronavirus" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reported.</p>
<p>Now that Costco and Kroger are limiting the amount of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat-consumption" target="_self">meat</a> people can buy, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are looking to fill in the gaps by offering bulk products. In an earnings call on Tuesday, Brown said that Beyond Meat is introducing lower-priced bulk value packs to grocers as they struggle with supply shortages of animal protein, according to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/andriacheng/2020/05/05/with-crimped-animal-meat-supply-coronavirus-may-open-big-consumer-appetite-for-plant-based-meat-from-beyond-meat-impossible-foods/#7bf6ad662920" target="_blank">Forbes</a>.</p><p>"Our biggest focus is to provide solutions for consumers as they have meat disruptions," Brown said on the call. "There is an opportunity for consumers to be aware of a different model. There are more opportunities to be relevant to customers."</p>The move away from animal-protein, which is resource-intensive to grow and raise, making it a leading cause of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis" target="_self">climate crisis</a>, has helped Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods make headway into new markets. Starbucks in China has started to sell Beyond Meat.
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Slashing U.S. Meat Consumption by Half Could Cut Diet-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 35%, Study Finds
01 May
Climate
People queue to buy vegan food at a food truck during the Calais Vegan Festival organized by the French association Farplace on Sept. 8, 2018, in Calais. PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP via Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
A new study highlights how addressing U.S. diets could help tackle the climate crisis, finding that if Americans cut their consumption of animal-based foods by half, it could prevent 1.6 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
<p>The <a href="http://css.umich.edu/publication/implications-future-us-diet-scenarios-greenhouse-gas-emissions" target="_blank">study</a> was conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan and Tulane University and was commissioned by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> group Center for Biological Diversity.</p><p>Gradually swapping out by 2030 half of all animal-based foods — including beef, eggs and dairy — for <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegetarian">plant-based</a> foods such as legumes and soy products could result in a 35% decrease in U.S. diet-related emissions, estimated the study. That equals a decline of roughly 224 million metric tons of emissions per year in 2030 — the equivalent of the annual emissions of 47.5 million passenger vehicles, said the researchers.</p>
<p>If U.S. beef consumption is also cut by 90%, the climate benefits could be even bigger, the analysis found.</p><p>That further-reaching change has the potential to bring about a 51% reduction in U.S. dietary-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) by leading to a cumulative decrease of 2.4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.</p><p>Those possible changes are due to the heavy carbon footprint of the average U.S. diet. From the study:</p><p>The total emissions associated with producing the average U.S. diet amounts to 5.0 kg CO2 eq. per person per day. Whereas red meat (beef, pork, lamb) represents 9% of the calories available from this diet, it contributes 47% of the GHGE. All animal-based foods combined (red meat, poultry, fish/seafood, eggs, dairy and animal based fats) represent 82% of the baseline diet GHGE.</p><p>"While a diet shift isn't a silver bullet, it could play an important role in curbing climate change," Martin Heller, lead author of the study and a research specialist at University of Michigan's Center for Sustainable Systems at the School for Environment and Sustainability, said in a statement. "This research shows that replacing only half of our animal-based food consumption with plant-based alternatives could account for nearly a quarter of the reductions necessary for the U.S. to meet a Paris Agreement target," Heller said.</p>
<p>The Trump administration formally <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/11/04/delivering-catastrophic-message-moment-great-urgency-trump-formally-begins-ditching" target="_blank">withdrew</a> from the global climate accord last year.</p><p>Stephanie Feldstein, population and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sustainability">sustainability</a> director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the study provided clear steps for how to rein in planet-heating emissions.</p><p>"Moving the American appetite from our burger-heavy diet to plant-based eating is a powerful and necessary part of curbing the climate crisis," she said. "The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the meat supply chain's vulnerabilities, but our food system faces even greater long-term threats from climate change. We desperately need policymakers to support sustainable diets and a resilient food system."</p><p>To help that effort, the Center for Biological Diversity has also put out a policy <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/climate/Climate-Diet-report.html" target="_blank">guide</a> outlining steps U.S. policymakers can take to successfully lower diet-related emissions.</p><p>At the federal level, the document states, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans should emphasize the importance of plant-based foods (including for protein), and urge reductions in meat and dairy consumption. At the municipal level, policymakers can enact policies to boost the "availability and acceptance of plant-based options."</p><p>"By bringing together food policy and climate policy," says the guide, "governments can provide a foundation for a healthy, climate-friendly food system."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/30/slashing-us-meat-consumption-half-could-cut-diet-related-greenhouse-gas-emissions-35" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Trending
A Smithfield Foods pork plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that was forced to close after it became one of the nation's leading coronavirus hot spots. Smithfield Foods was bought by China's WH Group Ltd (0288.HK) in 2013 for $4.7 billion, according to Reuters. KEREM YUCEL / AFP via Getty Images
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday ordering meat processing plants to remain open during the coronavirus pandemic.
<p>The order came two days after the chair of Tyson Foods <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/meat-shortages-coronavirus-slaughterhouses-2645861788.html" target="_self">warned</a> that plant closures could remove millions of pounds of meat from the U.S. supply chain, leading to shortages in grocery stores. But plant workers and labor advocates are concerned the order could put meat-industry employees at greater risk.</p><p>"To me it's just putting more people in danger. He is not concerned about the people's life and well-being," Robert Hope, a 59-year-old worker at a Tyson plant in Camilla, Georgia who has been on unpaid leave since March 18 due to a heart condition that makes him vulnerable to the virus, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/28/business/economy/coronavirus-trump-meat-food-supply.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p>
<p>The executive order designates meat production facilities as "critical infrastructure" and was issued under the Defense Production Act. The Labor Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also issued guidelines that will protect plants that remain open from liability. The <a href="http://www.ufcw.org/" target="_blank">United Food and Commercial Workers International Union</a> (UFCW) said at least 13 plants had closed over the past two months, leading to a 25 percent drop in pork production capacity and a 10 percent drop for beef, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/28/politics/defense-production-act-executive-order-food-supply/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2TpsXU8Ed0etYY4I6Pbus09qN5Gl6tTqFxtXD9PpIpINfiw2rqUss5YSQ" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>.</p><p>"Such closures threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency," the executive order said, as <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52466502" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>. "Given the high volume of meat and poultry processed by many facilities, any unnecessary closures can quickly have a large effect on the food supply chain."</p>
<p>But the closures came because the virus that causes COVID-19 was spreading rapidly between employees in plants where crowded working conditions make social distancing difficult. A Tyson pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa closed after more than 180 infections were linked to it, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-order-meat-processing-plants-stay-open-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-n1194536" target="_blank">NBC News reported</a>. That was nearly half of the cases reported in Iowa's Black Hawk County. Similarly, a Smithfield Foods pork plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/meat-processing-plants-coronavirus-2645711732.html" target="_self">closed</a> after its employees accounted for 238 of the state's 626 cases.</p><p>All told, more than 5,000 meatpacking workers have sickened and at least 20 have died, UFCW said Tuesday.</p><p>The union, which represents 250,000 workers in the industry, issued a statement calling on the administration to ensure workers are protected while plants stay open.</p><p>"While we share the concern over the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/food/" target="_self">food</a> supply, today's executive order to force meatpacking plants to stay open must put the safety of our country's meatpacking workers first," union president Marc Perrone said. "Simply put, we cannot have a secure food supply without the safety of these workers."</p>
<div id="28d29" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="94449b78dd936851af022ca1e7531037"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1255243469381140481" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">America's meatpacking workers put their lives at risk daily to keep us fed during #coronavirus outbreak.
Today's… https://t.co/EPoLWK1opI</div> — UFCW (@UFCW)<a href="https://twitter.com/UFCW/statuses/1255243469381140481">1588108339.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>He called for measures like ensuring worker access to the national stockpile of personal protective equipment, ensuring access to daily testing for workers and communities, enforcing social distancing guidelines and providing paid leave to any employees who fall ill.</p><p>OSHA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines Sunday for keeping meatpacking workers safe, The New York Times reported, such as requiring workers to move through plants single file and placing workstations six feet apart, but worker advocacy groups point out that compliance is voluntary.</p><p>"It's a guideline. It's not a regulation. They can do whatever they want," <a href="https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/" target="_blank">Food & Water Watch</a> lobbyist Tony Corbo told The New York Times. "The people are still standing next to one another in these plants. They're still getting sick."</p><p><a href="https://www.peta.org/" target="_blank">People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals</a> (PETA) launched a petition calling on the administration to keep slaughterhouses closed.</p>
<div id="92444" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="64524e2c5b02145cb1bed7e5f37c7bca"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1255326191193673732" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">URGENT: @realdonaldtrump ordered slaughterhouses stay open despite being hotbeds for #COVID19!
For the health of… https://t.co/hVBCH7hqYs</div> — PETA (@PETA)<a href="https://twitter.com/peta/statuses/1255326191193673732">1588128061.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"For the sake of human health and in behalf of the animals destined to be slaughtered and the migrant and other workers who are treated like scum in these slaughterhouses and whose families are more at risk than in almost any other job, PETA asks the nation to rise up and shout a resounding 'NO' to keeping slaughterhouses open at this time," the organization <a href="https://support.peta.org/page/18885/action/1?utm_source=PETA::Twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=0420::veg::PETA::Twitter::Urge%20President%20Trump%20to%20Keep%20Slaughterhouses%20Closed::::tweet" target="_blank">wrote</a>.</p>
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An employee restocks the meat section at a grocery store in Miami, Florida on April 13. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Now might be a good time to go vegetarian.
As meat-processing plants close across the country to stop the new coronavirus from spreading among employees, industry leaders and experts are warning of meat shortages in the nation's grocery stores.
<p>"The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/food/" target="_self">food</a> supply chain is breaking," Tyson Foods chairman of the board John Tyson wrote in a full-page ad published in The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sunday, as well as in a <a href="https://thefeed.blog/2020/04/26/feeding-the-nation-and-keeping-our-employees-healthy/" target="_blank">blog</a> on the company's website, as <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tyson-foods-chairman-warns-food-supply-chain-breaking-n1193256" target="_blank">NBC News reported</a>.</p>
<div id="18143" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="735fcb7cc670a03c8f18d57cc714d4e0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1254604496359116801" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">In these challenging days, we have a responsibility to feed our nation and the world. Though a delicate balance, ou… https://t.co/Kt9yRUCp3D</div> — Tyson Foods (@Tyson Foods)<a href="https://twitter.com/TysonFoods/statuses/1254604496359116801">1587955996.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Tyson's warning came after the company closed down two pork processing plants in Waterloo, Indiana and Logansport, Indiana in order to test workers for the virus that causes COVID-19, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/26/business/tyson-foods-nyt-ad/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. Other major players have also closed plants as thousands of slaughterhouse employees have tested positive for the virus. Three of the nation's largest pork plants, which together process around 15 percent of the nation's pig meat, have shuttered indefinitely: Tyson's Waterloo plant; the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and the JBS pork processing plant in Worthington, Minnesota.</p><p>"As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain," Tyson wrote. "As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed."</p>
<p>Outside experts also agree that the country could see meat shortages in grocery stores. <a href="http://www.archerfinancials.com/" target="_blank">Archer Financial Services</a> commodity broker and livestock analyst Dennis Smith told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/groceries-could-see-meat-shortages-end-week-amid-plant-closings-n1193401" target="_blank">NBC News</a> that meat production was down 25 percent.</p><p>"We've just completed our third week of reduced slaughter and production," Smith told NBC News. "My guess is that about one week out, perhaps around May 1, shortages will begin developing at retail meat counters."</p><p>There is currently enough meat in freezers to keep Americans fed, NBC News reported. The challenge is with moving meat, especially fresh, to grocery stores.</p>
<h3>Worker Safety</h3><p>Slaughterhouses have been forced to close because working conditions make social distancing difficult.</p><p>"I work about two feet from my coworkers," an employee at Tyson's Waterloo plant who tested positive for the virus and asked to be identified as Donald <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/22/us/tyson-waterloo-iowa-plant-employees-coronavirus/index.html" target="_blank">told CNN</a>. "I'm about an arm's length away from my partner. It's close."</p><p>The Waterloo plant only closed under pressure from the community. It was linked to almost half of Black Hawk County, Iowa's COVID-19 cases as of April 21.</p><p>Industry-wide, more than 5,000 meat and food processing workers have been sickened with the virus and 13 have died, according to United Food and Commercial Workers International Union figures reported by NBC News.</p>
<div id="cd07b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="09787f66bef819aa2d587faa18a1ce4c"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1253740038237675520" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">America's meatpacking workers are on the frontlines of #coronavirus outbreak, putting their lives at risk to keep o… https://t.co/hE7jZV2h6p</div> — UFCW (@UFCW)<a href="https://twitter.com/UFCW/statuses/1253740038237675520">1587749893.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In his ad, Tyson said the company was enacting safety measures like installing temperature scanners, requiring face masks, conducting daily deep cleans and installing dividers between workstations.</p><p>However, the case of the Waterloo plant calls into question how consistently and effectively these measures are implemented.</p><p>Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson said he visited the plant April 11.</p><p>"There was no enforcement of PPE, there was no requirement. In fact, some people we saw walking around actually had masks, but they were wearing them around their neck," Thompson told CNN. "I was surprised by the lack of measures, but I was further surprised by what they thought they were doing right."</p>
<h3>Food Waste and Animal Rights</h3><p>The closure of meat processing plants has also impacted farmers and the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a> they raise.</p><p>"In addition to meat shortages, this is a serious <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/food-waste" target="_self">food waste</a> issue," Tyson wrote. "Farmers across the nation simply will not have anywhere to sell their livestock to be processed, when they could have fed the nation. Millions of animals – chickens, pigs and cattle – will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities."</p><p>In some places, this is already happening. Iowa farmer Al Van Beek <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-livestock-insight/piglets-aborted-chickens-gassed-as-pandemic-slams-meat-sector-idUSKCN2292YS" target="_blank">told Reuters</a> he was forced to induce abortions in his pregnant sows because he had nowhere to sell his adult pigs to make room for the 7,500 piglets he was expecting.</p><p>"We have nowhere to go with the pigs," Van Beek said. "What are we going to do?"</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/animal-welfare" target="_self">Animal welfare</a> advocates, however, called out Tyson for only caring about animal lives because they could not profit from them.</p><p>"Just as disingenuous as it has been for some meat plants to blame low-paid workers for their living conditions, Tyson Foods, which slits the throats of frightened animals every day that it operates, now has the gall to seem worried about 'depopulating' — aka killing," <a href="https://www.peta.org/" target="_blank">People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals</a> (PETA) wrote in a Twitter statement.</p>
<div id="db1db" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="774730e5abb71a51fd5a011c78f27e4f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1254913245686558720" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Just as disingenuous as it has been for some meat plants to blame low-paid workers for their living conditions, Tys… https://t.co/XXDGZ2Bbmu</div> — PETA (@PETA)<a href="https://twitter.com/peta/statuses/1254913245686558720">1588029607.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The group recommended Tyson solve its pandemic problems by switching to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/vegan" target="_self">vegan</a> "meat" instead.</p>
<div id="1d27d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="35f8a071272f69708f7153f563a63cbc"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1254913247192346624" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">How can Tyson Foods fix its problems entirely?
By switching its plants to producing the #vegan meat that it's alr… https://t.co/YPNPuK0xeF</div> — PETA (@PETA)<a href="https://twitter.com/peta/statuses/1254913247192346624">1588029607.0</a></blockquote></div>
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Meat processing workers are particularly vulnerable to infection because they stand very close to each other. Russ Schleipman / The Image Bank / Getty Images
Meat processing plants across the U.S. and Canada are being forced to close as employees sicken with the new coronavirus, raising concerns both for the meat supply chain and worker safety at the often crowded plants.
<p>One of the biggest closures to date was Sunday's indefinite shuttering of a Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that is responsible for around five percent of the U.S. daily pork supply, as <a href="https://apnews.com/d855667c811d3d9810883e05702288ad" target="_blank">The Associated Press reported</a>. Its closure came after almost 300 of its 3,700 workers tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.</p>
<p>"The closure of this facility, combined with a growing list of other protein plants that have shuttered across our industry, is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply," Smithfield President and CEO Kenneth M. Sullivan said in a <a href="https://www.smithfieldfoods.com/press-room/company-news/smithfield-foods-to-close-sioux-falls-sd-plant-indefinitely-amid-covid-19" target="_blank">statement announcing the closure</a>. "It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running."</p><p>Other plants have shut their doors, at least temporarily, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-meat-factbox-idUSKCN21V09W?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR23YBAAkfyTWSUZyzc45e_qL2mfi0wQkuTwxng9iPRcQ6nBwhXx0h2KjRk" target="_blank">Reuters</a>. They include:</p><ol><li>A JBS USA plant in Greeley, Colorado that is responsible for five percent of the U.S. daily <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/beef" target="_self">beef</a> slaughter, which said Monday it would close until April 24.</li><li>A Tyson Foods hog slaughterhouse in Columbus Junction, Iowa that said Monday it would extend an April 6 closure for another week.</li><li>A National Beef Packing Co. plant in Tama, Iowa that suspended cattle slaughtering until the week of April 20.</li><li>An Olymel pork plant in Yamachiche, Quebec, that closed for two weeks starting March 29.</li><li>A Maple Leaf Foods poultry plant in Brampton, Ontario that suspended production April 8.</li></ol>
<p>Overall, hundreds of workers have fallen ill at plants in Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Mississippi and other locations, according to The Associated Press.</p><p>Meat processing workers are particularly vulnerable to infection because they stand very close to each other on assembly lines and share crowded locker rooms, leading some food safety and worker advocates to criticize companies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for not doing more earlier to prevent the spread of the virus.</p><p>"Social distancing is impossible in meatpacking plants," senior government affairs representative for <a href="https://www.foodandwateraction.org/" target="_blank">Food & Water Action</a> Tony Corbo said in a statement emailed to EcoWatch. "The plants are incubators for spreading COVID-19 and neither the plant owners nor the USDA has provided adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for workers and inspectors to use while on the job. Workers and inspectors at these plants must be immediately tested for COVID-19 and then immediately provided PPE and hazardous duty pay. We must treat these people who are critical to ensuring the safety of our food supply like the frontline workers that they are."</p><p>Food & Water Action said the Smithfield plant should have been closed weeks ago. But, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/meatpacking-giant-closes-south-dakota-plant-indefinitely-after-almost-300-employees-test-positive-1497498?fbclid=IwAR3tfVExjShIWwZ9MLmeaM-NH0DvmojWMz6vJJHyqCXpScDEchRMFxR3LpQ" target="_blank">as Newsweek reported</a>, it only closed following a letter from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Ten Haken Saturday, asking the plant to close for 14 days. When it was sent, 238 of the states's 626 cases were among Smithfield employees.</p>
<div id="ce145" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bcde490888c61a454bf191cde6d60c48"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1248659003061788679" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🚨 The announcement from South Dakota officials makes the Sioux Falls Smithfield Foods meatpacking plant the #4 hots… https://t.co/0Ekj35oy44</div> — Michael Geheren (@Michael Geheren)<a href="https://twitter.com/mgeheren/statuses/1248659003061788679">1586538479.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>"This is your moment to take swift action for your people, the community of Sioux Falls and the State of South Dakota," Noem and Ten Taken wrote.</p><p>Smithfield workers at the shuttered plant will receive full pay for the next 14 days.</p><p>It is hard to know how much plant closures will impact U.S. meat eaters. So far the decreased production has been offset by meat stored in freezers, Kansas State University agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor told The Associated Press.</p><p>"You could shut multiple plants down for a day or two, and we've got wiggle room to handle that," said Tonsor. "But if you took four or five of those big plants ... and they had to be down for two weeks, then you've got a game changer."</p><p>For <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/animal-welfare" target="_self">animal welfare</a> advocates, however, the spread of the new coronavirus at meat processing plants is just another symptom of the industry's disregard for both human and animal life.</p><p>"Even without the connection to coronavirus, animal flesh is one of the most cruelly obtained and unhealthy things you could consume," <a href="https://www.peta.org/blog/coronavirus-covid-19-slaughterhouse-meat-concerns/" target="_blank">People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote</a>. "Eating meat has been conclusively linked to heart disease, cancer, obesity, and other health issues — and according to the United Nations, animal agriculture is responsible for nearly a fifth of human-induced greenhouse-gas emissions. But each person who goes vegan won't just help fight climate change — they'll also save the lives of nearly 200 animals a year, animals who, just like us, don't want to be killed. Don't wait for COVID-20 — forget freezer meat and go vegan now."</p>
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