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Animals don't stop at the steak on your plate...
I came across this very extensive list of all the products we use on a regular basis that come from the slaughter of animals (it may not always mean the animal had to die to produce this product - i.e. milk from a dairy cow, but it usually means a life where the animal's welfare is poorly considered - if at all, and they are slaughtered once they are no longer 'productive').
I am not posting this to initiate a heated argument. I am employed in the animal agriculture industry and spent four years learning about the many, many by-products we use everyday that come from the slaughter of animals - there are many items on this list I didn't even know! I am sharing this to provide some information - that's all. I think often many people (myself included) do not realize that so much of our reliance on animals (call it right or wrong) does not stop at the steak on our plate. Our society has become very dependent on the slaughter of animals for billions of things beyond meat. This list also includes many by-products we use that do not come from livestock. Some of us who are trying to limit our dependance on animals, may find the alternatives posted helpful. Food for thought (no pun intended). http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html Some that surprised me: Allantoin. Uric acid from cows, most mammals. Also in many plants (especially comfrey). In cosmetics (especially creams and lotions) and used in treatment of wounds and ulcers. Derivatives: Alcloxa, Aldioxa. Alternatives: extract of comfrey root, synthetics. Alpha-Hydroxy Acids. Any one of several acids used as an exfoliant and in anti-wrinkle products. Benzoic Acid. In almost all vertebrates and in berries. Used as a preservative in mouthwashes, deodorants, creams, aftershave lotions, etc. Boar Bristles. Hair from wild or captive hogs. In "natural" toothbrushes and bath and shaving brushes Insulin. From hog pancreas. Used by millions of diabetics daily. Alternatives: synthetics, vegetarian diet and nutritional supplements, human insulin grown in a lab. - I knew insulin came from pigs, but had no idea human insulin could be grown in a lab! Lanolin. Lanolin Acids. Wool Fat. Wool Wax. A product of the oil glands of sheep, extracted from their wool. Used as an emollient in many skin care products and cosmetics and in medicines. Also found in chewing gum and products with vitamin D3. Methionine. Essential amino acid found in various proteins (usually from egg albumen and casein). Used as a texturizer and for freshness in potato chips.
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My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
#2
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Thanks for posting this, very interesting.
I wonder if most vegans are aware of some of these things?
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Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyways. ~John Wayne |
#3
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Very interesting read. Not surprised however.
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#4
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Quote:
Even some of my favorite books on the industry, including Eating Animals - by Jonathan Safran Foer, do not touch on this topic - how we deal with the sheer quantity of by-products we consume/use that come from the slaughter of animals. My guess is because it is a huge moral dilemma and is a very complicated issue, with no easy solution (i.e. do you not eat meat for supper, but deny your child antibiotics when they are very ill because they come from animal by-products?). It's very hard not to support this industry is some way or another. I do think for the health and well-being of the environment, the animals, and ourselves it is certainly a smart idea at the very least to consume less of it, it just boggles my brain how many by-products we use that come from the slaughter of animals. Even if all consumption of animals stopped on the planet, we would continue to slaughter billions of animals for the use of these by-products. I'm happy to see that many alternatives are becoming available. Unfortunately, right now, many are so expensive most people can't/won't buy them. Maybe that will change once demand for them grows?
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My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
#5
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As long as people consume meat (and the only vegans and vegetarians I know are on this site. I'm not one and and I don't know any personally), there will always be these by products. Unless the alternatives become incrediby cheap, there will be no need for companies to change their ingredients. It's an incredibly expensive exercise to change a formula for any product, from the development, regulatory and packaging changes. I don't see it happening myself.
clm |
#6
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Quote:
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My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
#7
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Very interesting Cassie. Thanks. One of the girls I work with is a vegetarian. I wonder if she knows about this.
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Assumptions do nothing but make an ass out of u and me. We can stick our heads in the sand for only so long before it starts choking us. Face it folks. The pet population is bad ALL OVER THE WORLD! |
#8
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I agree with clm this isn't about to change since most people eat meat. I do not agree with the way meat animals are kept or how they are slaughtered but guess we may as well use all the parts once they are.
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#9
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But even if we stopped eating meat, would we still not end up slaughtering animals for these byproducts? It would be many many less but still. Either that or we would have to come up with alternatives in a hurry.
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My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
#10
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Don't forget birth control pills - hormones come from the urine of mares.
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#11
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And I'm glad those farms are pretty well extinct in Alberta..
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#12
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Are they? Still many women here and elsewhere in the world use the pill and think nothing of it. It's also sad the effect they have documented urine from women who use the pill has had on many marine animals when it ends up in the rivers, lakes, etc.
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My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
#13
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Most vegans, the ones that take their lifestyle choice seriously, are very much aware of all the hidden animal by-products in use around us. They don't tend to shop for cosmetics and groceries at places like Walmart or Costco (etc) and instead look for vegan products at health food stores. Yes, you can get vegan shampoo and deodorant and toothpaste.
Other items that use animal products which may surprise you:
One thing to remember is that trying to limit your animal product intake doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing endeavour. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can.
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#14
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Thanks for the info scm, very informative. I agree that it would be pretty dang tough to eliminate all animal products from our lifestyle, but it's good to be aware just how much they are around us and how we rely on them.
Thanks for everyones input!
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My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
#15
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exkalibur,
when the company that makes premarin cancelled their Canadian contracts, thousands of mares were sent to slaughterhouses. Poor horsies can't win. |
#16
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I know...we took one as a rescue years ago....The best mare for kids we ever had.
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#17
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Quote:
And before someone takes me to task over red meat vs. white and whatever, no I do not believe chickens and pigs and fish suffer any less than cows. However, being that I am a carnivore, at this moment I am not ready to remove all meat from my diet, but I may work towards that at some point. I would like to be able to find true free range organic meats, but given how easy it is to slap a label on something calling it free range and organic, even when it's not, I don't know what to trust. And yes I know free range and organic meats are still slaughtered the same way. I have become more aware and conscious lately of what products derive ingredients from animals, pretty much everything...it's sad. I am looking for products free from animal based ingriedients, like cosmetics for instance. I have always tried using not tested on animals products, but if their ingredients are derived from animals, I think it's equally as bad. Cassie, thanks for lending me the books, Eating Animals, has been a very interesting albeit disturbing read.
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Abigail~ APBT~ 2 Jersey ~ APBT~5(ish) Kato ~Rottie~ 5&1/2 Wendellan~ Feline~ 10(ish) Theedee~Feline~10(ish) "Da-Goob"~ APBT/Dogo x (5-6ish) "My Pitbulls are better behaved than your kids!" (my favorite bumper sticker) |
#18
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Personally, I would trust products with ingredients derived from animals more than synthetic ingredients.
clm |
#19
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I think it's great what you are going to do. I also am going to try to eliminate most of the red meat out of my diet. I generally don't eat alot anyways, so this shouldn't be a hard transition for me, but I think the switch to most white meats is much more healtheir. I think even if the world overall consumed less meat this would have an incredibly positive impact on the environment, ourselves, and the animals. "Free range" and "organic" are toughies - he dicusseses them in Eating Animals and his opinion on them is basically that they are crap. I tend to agree. I don't really think any of the agencies we have that are supposed to monitor and regulate such things, do their job. Even if they are... the AB Chicken Board calls our broiler(meat) chicken industry here "free-range"... that doesn't mean that they see daylight, or are even given "x" amount of room in the barn, it simply means they are not confined in cages - they are still confined in a building. Well you can guess where I am going with this... shove 70,000 chickens into a 40 X 240 foot barn when they are 42 days old and each weigh almost 3 kgs right before they are slaughtered, and they are packed. They have to wait in line to access feed and water. They may not be running on top of each other's backs, but I wouldn't call this "free range", however that's what they can market it as. I wonder how many people eat it thinking they are eating chicken that was able to spend it's life outside and with tons of room to run. I am also becoming more aware of all the products we use that come from the slaughter of animals. I think it's great to consume less meat; I think most people don't even realize how much animal by-products they use on a daily basis, myself included. This list has really opened my eyes. C - if you ever want those eggs or those turkeys I was talking about let me know they are the only food I generally feel OK eating as I know exactly what the animals eat and what their living conditions are. I still don't know every aspect of their life, but I at least know they have a better life than most others of their own kind.
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My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
#20
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I believe there are some items derived from animals that are necessary, however like I said I would like to find cosmetics that contain no animal by products, surely we don't need to wear dead animal parts on our faces, in products like shampoo, conditioners, cosmetics, make up remover, etc etc, we can trust synthetics and lessen our dependancy on animal by products
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Abigail~ APBT~ 2 Jersey ~ APBT~5(ish) Kato ~Rottie~ 5&1/2 Wendellan~ Feline~ 10(ish) Theedee~Feline~10(ish) "Da-Goob"~ APBT/Dogo x (5-6ish) "My Pitbulls are better behaved than your kids!" (my favorite bumper sticker) |
#21
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Quote:
clm |
#22
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How about plant-based ingredients? Much more natural and cruelty-free. Quote:
http://www.gabrielcosmeticsinc.com/i...lay&page_id=30 http://www.aubrey-organics.com/custom.aspx?id=16 https://www.zuiiorganic.com/
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#23
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I personally see nothing wrong with using products that use the by products of the animal industry. Just my opinion you understand. I don't see the industry going away, not ever, so if the by products from the industry can be used in other things, then I say why not, that's all.
For those who feel better eliminating meat or poultry from their diets, that's a lifestyle choice some feel morally obligated to persue and eliminating other products from that choice makes sense. To switch to such a lifestyle with the idea that it's healthier is highly debatable though, and you would never get me to believe it to be true. I think if more effort were spent on finding financially viable ways for beef, pork and poultry farmers to raise animals more humanely and again to find financially viable ways for these same animals to be processed it would make a lot more sense. clm |
#24
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Quote:
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I agree 100% that most products that contain animal by products also contain a lot of synthetics, to enhance and preserve the animal by products.
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Abigail~ APBT~ 2 Jersey ~ APBT~5(ish) Kato ~Rottie~ 5&1/2 Wendellan~ Feline~ 10(ish) Theedee~Feline~10(ish) "Da-Goob"~ APBT/Dogo x (5-6ish) "My Pitbulls are better behaved than your kids!" (my favorite bumper sticker) |
#25
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Quote:
In my opinion when you purchase certain cosmetics you are also supporting the slaughter of whales. Can we not live without whale blubber on our lips and faces? When the whales are gone they are gone, but wow don't we look good! As for removing red meat from my diet, I don't know if it's a healthy thing to do, I've heard arguements both pro and con, which is why I am going to ask my Dr. If I do decide to remove red meat from my diet, it's a personal choice I'm making for several reasons. I certainly won't be forcing those reasons upon anyone else, and I certainly wouldn't force my family to follow suit. I agree with you clm, that the industry won't go away, I wouldn't expect it to. I would like to see more humane treatment of the animals that are killed for our desire for a good juicy steak however. I just want to find more cruelty free products, and products that don't contain animals to enhance my own face. I do understand your arguements tho and I respect them
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Abigail~ APBT~ 2 Jersey ~ APBT~5(ish) Kato ~Rottie~ 5&1/2 Wendellan~ Feline~ 10(ish) Theedee~Feline~10(ish) "Da-Goob"~ APBT/Dogo x (5-6ish) "My Pitbulls are better behaved than your kids!" (my favorite bumper sticker) |
#26
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Quote:
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Thanks to everyone for your input on this issue!
__________________
My babies: Sassy - Maltese X (9), Furby - Shihtzu X (7), Brynn - Boxer (3), Diesel - Boxer (1) "Many of the Earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even micro-organisms that we know as rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late." - Dalai Lama |
#27
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Excellent debate, lots of think about. No easy answers, I am thinking.
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