Chris's Sharebook 

An estimated 32,000 baby cows have been stranded aboard ships for six weeks at an Egyptian port after arriving from Australia. The Ministry of Agriculture is keeping them quarantined after fears that they were given cancerous treatments before boarding a vessel from Australia to Egypt, where they are planned to be slaughtered.

The cows remain on board their vessels in horrible conditions, waiting for the ministry to decide their fate. According to an al-Shorouk news report, they will likely remain on these ships for weeks as further tests take place.

This is not the first time when cows suffered on ships destined for Egypt. Earlier this year, 3,000 cows died on a ship after the Egyptian government refused to let them dock.

Thousands of animals are suffering and have died because of poor live export practices and lack of communication. Please urge the Ministry of Agricuture to offload the 32,000 stranded cows and take action to prevent similar situations from happening in the future!

SIGN PETITION

Chinese scientists are conducting experiments to create genetically modified (GM) cattle designed to produce tastier beef. They have given extra genes to two calf clones in hopes that the genes will increase muscle fat and improve meat flavor. After the calves reach maturity, they will be slaughtered to test the quality of their meat.

Though beef is not a necessary part of the human diet, the best tasting and healthiest beef is traditionally produced by treating cattle well, allowing them to graze and roam free, and feeding them a natural diet. Producing GM cattle might improve beef flavor for less money, but animals must suffer greatly in these experiments. Like all GM foods, GM beef would have unpredictable effects on the health of humans who consume it.

If successful, GM beef will likely end up in European and American markets. Please sign the petition to put a stop to GM cattle!

Scientists from Johns Hopkins University and Arizona State University recently discovered arsenic in feather meal from poultry raised in U.S. factory farms. Food companies routinely feed arsenic to poultry in order to fight infection and turn their flesh an "appetizing" pink color.

In addition to arsenic, scientists found caffeine, antihistamines and a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. These drugs were included in poultry feed to keep animals awake longer so they eat more, to calm the animals, and to fight infection, respectively. Fluoroquinolones are already illegal because they can breed antibiotic-resistant bacteria that harm humans. But apparently that hasn't stopped the poultry industry.

Factory farm workers are often unaware of the chemicals they feed to poultry. Obviously, consumers are also unaware of the drugs fed to the animals they eat.

Please sign the petition to keep arsenic, caffeine, antihistamines and fluoroquinolones out of poultry feed.