See All-Creatures.org Health Position and Disclaimer
Interview by Patricia Denys and Mary Holmes, Animal Culture Magazine, July 2020: We asked Karen Davis how she responds to those who state they eat chicken, not beef, because it’s the healthier alternative. She put that misnomer to rest immediately; it’s all propaganda.
Karen Davis and a rescued hen blinded by ammonia fumes in a Tyson
facility in Maryland. Photo © Bruce Andrew Peters
If you are unfamiliar with UPC, it was founded in 1990 by Davis. According to its website, “United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the compassionate and respectful treatment of chickens, turkeys, ducks and other domestic fowl. We hold that the treatment of these birds in the areas of food production, science, education, entertainment, and humane companionship situations has a significant effect upon human, animal, and environmental welfare.
We seek to make the public
aware of the ways in which poultry are used, and to promote the benefits of
a vegan diet and lifestyle.” Their sanctuary is located in Machipongo, VA,
on the state’s Eastern Shore.
First, we asked Davis how she responds to those who state they eat chicken,
not beef, because it’s the healthier alternative. She put that misnomer to
rest immediately; it’s all propaganda. “The public has had this idea for a
long time that eating poultry is more healthful than eating red meat. Well,
actually, the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has
pointed out for years that, for example, the amount of cholesterol in
chickens and turkey is virtually the same as what appears in beef products,
which is about 25 milligrams per ounce of flesh. You don’t really benefit
from eating poultry over beef from the standpoint of lowering cholesterol
intake.”
More importantly though, “Chickens and turkeys are raised in the most squalid, filthy conditions imaginable. They live in houses, and hens used for egg production as well....
To READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE, download the PDF...
TOP: Egg layers know as battery hens. Battery cages hold 7-10 hens, in a
67-86 square inch space. Esbenshade Farms, Mount Joy, PA ©Zoe Weil
MIDDLE: Chicks bred to grow fast for slaughter at six weeks of age. Perdue
Farms, DE ©David Harp
BOTTOM: Former battery hens enjoying naturally roosting at UPC. ©Susan
Rayfield
Return to Food Hazards in Animal Flesh and By-products
Read more at Vegan Health Articles
Read more at Egg Production Articles
We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.