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this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2024
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I don't have time to watch this video but... it seems like a dubious claim.
Feed on some specific farm carelessly contaminated with plastic? sure.
Feeding pigs plastic as a cost cutting measure? Non-sensical.
It doesn't take a veterinarian to deduce that feeding livestock plastic will harm your profitability.
They're not specifically feeding them plastic only, he's showing how any waste food (old potatos, old bread, chips, etc) that comes to be processed does not have the plastic bags removed before going into a grinder to become feed.
He actually shows how it's explicitly allowed in his state regulations, likely approved due to the efforts of an agribusiness lobbyist. I suspect that any negative effects to the pigs is not enough to effect the end product/bottom line, or doesn't manifest within the timeframe of a viable animal for slaughter.
the microplastics and hormone effects will definitely show up in the meat. Plastic is already in almost everything we eat and drink but this is probably much more concentrated and unhealthy than most other sources that humans consume.
According to this post/study, there definitely is microplastic in the meat, though less than I would've thought (it's possible the meat tested was from a state that doesn't allow plastic being in the feed).
Thanks for the link, this is a massively underreported issue. Every time i remember how bad the situation is (immune system issues, infertility rates, pregnancy issues, etc) i kinda freak out until i forget about it again so i can stay sane...
this got me thinking as well.
I think the whole garbage feeding law (at least in US, where the video originated) is made to control disease transmission -- but not microplastics, which is a relatively new discovery.
Still up to the consumer to protect themselves while there's no regulation tackling this.