Do you really know what is in the meat that we eat? Eric Schlosser has written a book on the process of meat packing plants that begs the question (Fast Food Nation). His work bears a remarkable similarity to Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle written almost one hundred years ago. Schlosser wrote his book from a different approach but contains shocking information of how our meat is still processed today. He is rightly known as the Upton Sinclair of today.
Schlosser went on a meat packing tour and explored the meat packing plant for himself (169). At the time of his book, he stated that meat packing was the most dangerous job in the United States (169). A slaughterhouse worker was about three times more apt to suffer an injury compared to a typical American worker (Schlosser 172).
In the early 1900’s, Upton Sinclair exposed the meat packer’s problems in his work. He listed many diseases that plagued the workers. For example, those who worked in the pickle room suffered from acid sores and joints that were consumed by acid (Sinclair, 2).
Both writers illustrated how some government officials and employers worked together for their mutual monetary gain which covered up bad produce and poor working conditions. Sinclair wrote of the inspectors at Packingtown where it was controlled by three henchmen of the local …show more content…
The contents of a can of meat was ground up old meat, tripe (stomach of cow), pork fat, beef suet, beef hearts and waste ends of veal (1). The problem, he pointed out, was that there were different labels, different grades and different prices given to the same ingredients in these cans (1). Sinclair alerted his readers that diseased meat was not to leave the state by law (1). The meat could be sold within the state even though it was a violation of one of the regulations (1). The inspectors of the meat were government employees but only had limited power
Schlosser went on a meat packing tour and explored the meat packing plant for himself (169). At the time of his book, he stated that meat packing was the most dangerous job in the United States (169). A slaughterhouse worker was about three times more apt to suffer an injury compared to a typical American worker (Schlosser 172).
In the early 1900’s, Upton Sinclair exposed the meat packer’s problems in his work. He listed many diseases that plagued the workers. For example, those who worked in the pickle room suffered from acid sores and joints that were consumed by acid (Sinclair, 2).
Both writers illustrated how some government officials and employers worked together for their mutual monetary gain which covered up bad produce and poor working conditions. Sinclair wrote of the inspectors at Packingtown where it was controlled by three henchmen of the local …show more content…
The contents of a can of meat was ground up old meat, tripe (stomach of cow), pork fat, beef suet, beef hearts and waste ends of veal (1). The problem, he pointed out, was that there were different labels, different grades and different prices given to the same ingredients in these cans (1). Sinclair alerted his readers that diseased meat was not to leave the state by law (1). The meat could be sold within the state even though it was a violation of one of the regulations (1). The inspectors of the meat were government employees but only had limited power