Faux Meat versus Dead Meat, by Karen Davis

Photo Credit: Evan Sung for The New York Times

Karen’s comment received 62 Recommended responses, placing it among the most recommended comments addressing Fake Meat vs. Real Meat in The New York Times, Dec. 4, 2019: “Millennials are gobbling down plant-based burgers, prompting meat producers to question the health benefits of ‘ultra-processed imitations.’”

New York Times Comment Section Dec. 4

Between plant-based meat and animal-derived meat, "fake" meat wins hands down. Plant-based meat is a slaughter-free product for which no animal has to suffer and die miserably and no human being has to do the dirtiest, most depressing work in the world.

Plant-powered meat does not pass intestinal bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, and E coli into human handlers and consumers of animal products. When these intestinal bacteria appear on lettuce and other plant produce, it's the result of animal agribusiness contamination. Chicken is the biggest source of food poisoning, and animals raised in cesspool conditions and fed horrible diets are not healthy no matter how pro-animal meat industry proponents try to lie about it. People who choose plant-based over animal products are making the right choice.

Probably only raw, organic foods are perfectly healthy for human consumption, but to complain that processed plant-based products are not perfectly healthy is ridiculous, especially compared to the standard Western diet. The terrible effects of this diet are well-documented: obesity, high blood pressure, Type-2 diabetes, heart failure, and food-borne illnesses. — Karen Davis, PhD, President, United Poultry Concerns

Beth Clifton collage

What Can I Do?

Support the Plant-Powered Food Revolution! Buy animal-free foods – organic, raw, cooked, processed, all of these – and help put an end to slaughterhouses. Post comments and write letters to the editor in support of animal-free cuisine. Talk to people. The current trend toward plant-powered foods must grow, and we who care about animals, who have lit the plant-powered fire, must maintain the momentum through our food purchases, cooking skills, animal advocacy and education!