Ignorance is bliss, which is why videos like these serve as a necessary reminder of how we should pay attention to where the meat we eat really comes from.

To be honest I haven’t actually made it the whole way through that video, filmed at a pork processing plant in Minnesota. If you can’t bear to watch it for yourself here’s some of what you missed out on courtesy of Huffington Post:

[It] shows pigs covered in feces and riddled with puss-filled sores headed for the production line. It also shows numerous pigs that appear to be conscious and shaking in pain as they are being slaughtered. Federal law requires livestock to be stunned before they are killed.

The owners of the slaughterhouse say they have already taken disciplinary action, and were aware of the incidents in question before the video from animal rights activist group Compassion Over Killing (CoK) went viral. Erica Meier, executive director of CoK, also responded to allegations of crafty editing:

“Our video speaks for itself,” Meier said. “We documented excessive beating, shocking, improper stunning, and dragging of animals.”

Meier said the group’s investigator applied for a job at QPP and worked there for several months. The investigator only worked with live animals during the last three weeks of employment, Meier said.

I would never wish taking away bacon from my worst enemy, let’s be clear about that, but isn’t it worth paying a touch more if you know the animals you’re eating weren’t treated in such a barbaric manner?

[source:huffingtonpost]