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Shawn Ramos
Professor Angeline Olliff
English 115
24 November 2014
Corn-Fueled Society
You are what you eat is a truism hard to argue with, and yet it is, as a visit to a feedlot
suggests, incomplete, for you are what what you eat eats, too (Pollan 84). Is it possible to know
exactly what we are eating in our world today? With the use of preservatives, additives, and
other chemicals commonly used in the foods we consume each day, it can be overwhelming to
truly know what we eat on a daily basis. In a society where population is rapidly growing and
technology steadily advancing, the food industry has evolved to accommodate such changes,
despite posing great benefits and effects to both the consumer and animals involved. In The
Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan, the author argues that the treatment of corn-fed
animals in the food industry can lead to serious health problems, which lead to a heavy use of
antibiotics towards the animals, and thus can affect the consumer in the long run. On the other
hand, the advancement of biotechnology allows animals to be genetically modified to best suit
the needs of our growing society, according to an article titled Genetically modified farm
animals and fish in agriculture: A review by Flavio Forabosco and his colleagues. Although
recent advancements in industrial farming and food processing can be beneficial to both the
consumer and the food industry, the condition and treatment for animals are disregarded,
negatively affecting the animal and consumer.
The transition to a corn-based diet in animals and the introduction of enhancement drugs
in the food industry have resulted in a faster slaughter time and increased weight, but pose great

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health effects on the animals and consumers. Pollan emphasizes the important role corn plays in
the food industry by explaining how corn makes up most of an animals diet on a farm. What
gets a steer from 80 to 1,100 pounds in fourteen months is tremendous quantities of corn, protein
and fat supplements, and an arsenal of new drugs (Pollan 74). This diet allows for lower
production costs, resulting in a cheaper price of meat for the consumer. However, Pollan argues
that Yet this corn-fed meat is demonstrably less healthy for us, since it contains more saturated
fat and less omega-3 fatty acids than the meat of animals fed grass (Pollan 75). Animals on
corn-fed diets may be cheaper to the consumer, but it has the potential to become a health risk
for the individual. Animals on this diet can only withstand eating corn for up to 150 days and are
at risk for diseases such as bloat and acidosis that can lead to death. This implies that corn-fed
diets are harmful to animals without the use of antibiotics. In a sense, the use of corn presents a
new dilemma to the food industry, which requires the use of such antibiotics to keep the animals
healthy during this period of massive and unnatural growth. The use of antibiotics as a means to
treat the animals due to an unnatural diet can affect the consumer and even the animals
themselves. Over time, an animal who is constantly given antibiotics can develop a resistance to
its benefits, decreasing the effectiveness of future medications and encouraging a higher dosage
or newer form of medication in the food industry. In the eyes of the consumer, acknowledging
such practices in the food industry can cause one to lose his/her appetite, due to the fact that what
we eat daily isnt as natural as it may seem.
In The Omnivores Dilemma, Pollan spends time with a cow he purchases at a feedlot,
observing the effects of corn on an animal whose diet should only consist of grass. He states, So
this is what a commodity corn can do to a cow: industrialize the miracle of nature that is
ruminant, taking this sunlight- and prairie grass-powered organism and turning it into the last

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thing we need: another fossil fuel machine. This one, however, is able to suffer (Pollan 84).
Pollan connects a cow to a machine to show that corn and chemical fertilizer is used to speed up
the processes of a normal cow, making it similar to a man-made machine. Pollans views of his
cow have drastically changed from a living organism to a machine made for the food industry.
The corn acts as the fuel that powers the machine in order to supply the demand for meat in our
society. Due to his insight on the feedlots of cattle, Pollan implies that consumers would change
their eating habits and address the problem if they witness exactly what happens to the food they
eat.
Like Pollan, most consumers today are becoming more aware of the treatment of animal
livestock and are calling for change. In the article Consumer Liking and Willingness to Pay for
High Welfare Animal-based Products by Fabio Napolitano, the author states, More recently,
results from focus groups indicated that citizens from western countries are being increasingly
influenced by ethical concerns and are acquiring an interest in farming and the associated animal
welfare standards (Napolitano 538). The growing interest and concern over animal welfare in
the food industry imply that the citizens, or consumers, are aware of the harmful effects of
todays current animal treatment and are willing to fight for a change. In 2007, Napolitano
conducted a study and found that the majority of consumers stated that they are very rarely or
never able to identify products obtained using animal welfare-friendly production systems
However, when information is provided, consumers clearly express a preference for products
obtained using animal welfare-friendly techniques (Napolitano 539). Based on the study, our
society tends to have a bias towards better treatment for animals when playing the role of a
consumer. Food labelled as animal-welfare friendly is seen to be more attractive when compared
to a non-labelled product. In The Omnivores Dilemma, Pollan argues that the overproduction

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of corn has resulted in overeating since such foods are inexpensive and more appealing.
Likewise, high-animal welfare products can result in better treatment for animals and a satisfied
consumer demand since they are more attractive than non-labelled products.
The idea of labelling animal-based products to show process characteristics and farming
system information on the item can help consumers form their expectations to purchase the right
product. In a sense, labelling animal-based products act as a cue to the consumer, helping
him/her decide whether the product is worth purchasing or not. An increasing demand for better
animal welfare can promote competition and urge farmers to continue satisfying the demand.
Implementing an animal welfare monitoring system through labelling can lead to great benefits
for the animals and the consumers. Monitoring systems can drive farmers to promote animal
welfare, satisfying the demand for better animal welfare for consumers and improving the lives
of farm animals.
The advancement of technology has allowed us to introduce transgenesis to animals in
the food industry, promoting better health and conditions for the animals while also cutting
slaughter time. A transgenic animal is defined as any animal who has been genetically altered
using recombinant technology. In Genetically modified farm animals and fish in agriculture: A
review by Forabosco and his colleagues, the article argues that although genetically modified
animals are still at a research stage, transgenic animals have the potential to become a positive
influence towards the food industry and animal welfare. Genetic modifications allow scientists to
create an array of benefits for animals. For example, GM chickens have been manipulated
mainly to increase their resistance to disease, their food conversion efficiency and, with little
success, their growth (Forabosco 4). Increasing animal welfare is a common goal shared by
consumers and scientists conducting transgenesis, but it also manages to satisfy the food

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industrys goal of increasing efficiency during the manufacturing process. As stated by
Forabosco, GM pigs with human lysozyme genes produce milk that has the potential to benefit
the piglets by enhancing their immune function and defending against pathogenic bacteria;
numbers of surviving newborn piglets rise correspondingly(Forabosco 4). Although a highly
expensive task, genetic modification has the ability to meet the demand for increased animal
welfare and productivity in the food industry. While some side effects and mutagenesis (genetic
mutation) can occur, gene correction occurs in later animal generations, eliminating any
complications. At the current state of transgenesis in the food industry, advancements will rely
on the demand for the process over time, as well as the amount of money the food industry is
willing to invest.
The treatment and conditions of todays livestock can be dramatically improved, from
their eating habits to their risks of diseases. With the use of corn in almost all aspects of the food
industry, animals have been tailored to meet the expectations of our society, supplying food at a
cheap cost and increasing production levels. With this in mind, we tend to neglect the well-being
of the animals that provide us food every day. Corn-fed diets have replaced the natural diet of
grass in most livestock, solely for the benefit of the consumer and the producer. Such an act can
be seen as unethical, or selfish, especially if the animals become sick with disease or experience
a traumatic death due to human motives. The increasing demand for animal welfare can push the
food industry to implement animal-labelling products and the use of transgenesis in animals.
Animal-labelling products have the ability to satisfy consumer demand for increased welfare
while also acting as a monitoring system for animal conditions and treatment. Consumers can
use this label as a factor when deciding what food they feel is morally right to eat. Transgenesis
on animals, although still being tested and researched, can increase animal welfare while

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simultaneously benefitting the consumer and food industry by modifying animals that are bestsuited for growth and healthiness. Whatever path we may take in the future, it is important to
always keep in mind the welfare of the animals that are used.

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Works Cited
Forabosco, F., M. Lhmus, L. Rydhmer, and L.f. Sundstrm. "Genetically Modified Farm
Animals and Fish in Agriculture: A

Review." Livestock Science 153.1-3 (2013): 1-

9. Web. 9 Nov. 2014.

Napolitano, Fabio, Antonio Girolami, and Ada Braghieri. "Consumer Liking and Willingness to
Pay for High Welfare Animal-based Products."Trends in Food Science &
Technology 21.11 (2010): 537-43. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.
Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New
York:Penguin, 2006. Print.