Have you ever wondered what processed meats look like up close? You may not want to know... especially after you view the photos we've released today of some popular processed meat products. These macro photos, taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XT and a specialized high-end macro lens, show processed meats from Jimmy Dean and Oscar Mayer in jaw-dropping detail. You'll see blobs of fat, stringy textures, curious color variation of meat parts and black chunks of something we cannot yet identify. They're all available for viewing right now on NaturalNews.com as part of our Photo Tours feature.
I took these pictures in my own kitchen (which turned out to be a problem because my kitchen soon reeked of processed meat odors). To acquire these common processed meat items, I visited the local Wal-Mart and purchased three products off the shelf:
• Oscar Mayer Cotto Salami
• Jimmy Dean pork sausage
• Oscar Mayer Smokies (wieners)
I then took each product home, opened it and began taking photos at various magnifications. All the photos shown here are un-edited (no Photoshop) except for adjusting brightness and contrast. These processed meats photos are accurate depictions of the products.
Click here to view the photos now.
My aim in doing this is to show people exactly what they're eating, up close, if they eat processed meats. While I can marginally tolerate the consumption of organic, free range meat products from animals that are ethically raised and honorably slaughtered, I am adamantly opposed to modern factory farms (cattle feedlots, chicken lots, etc.) as well as the use of toxic, cancer-causing additives in processed meat products. As I've covered in previous articles here on NaturalNews,
processed meats are linked to an increase in various cancers, including pancreatic cancers, brain tumors and colon cancers. Feeding hot dogs to children, in my opinion, is a form of child cruelty. Allowing these products to remain in the national food supply is, in my opinion, a form of mass chemical poisoning of the public.
I believe that most consumers who eat processed
meat products do so blindly, without really thinking about what they're eating and where it came from. This macrophotography project is intended to show consumers exactly what they're really swallowing when they eat these
processed meat products.
WARNING: The detail in these photos is astonishing, and many people will likely be grossed out or sickened by viewing them. Do not view them if you've just eaten processed meats!
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: Nothing in these
photos is intended to imply that these processed meat products do not meet FDA or USDA regulations. I have no doubt these products meet all minimum government requirements for human consumption. Then again, the USDA openly approves the use of chicken poop as cattle feed, so you can't exactly say that USDA regulators are really interested in food regulations that most intelligent consumers would agree with. In any case, these photos do not show any evidence whatsoever that Jimmy Dean or Kraft Foods are violating food safety regulations. They merely show these foods at great magnification where visual details are much easier to study. The salami product, in particular, is made with beef hearts!
Here are the three products viewed in this Photo Tour (along with their ingredients):
Oscar Mayer Cotto Salami ingredients
Mechanically separated chicken
Beef hearts
Pork
Water
Corn syrup
Beef
Contains less than 2% of:
Salt
Sodium lactate
Flavor
Sodium phosphates
Sodium diacetate
Sodium erythorbate (made from sugar)
Dextrose
Sodium nitrite
Soy lecithin
Potassium phosphate
Potassium chloride
Sugar
Click here to view macro photos of Oscar Mayer salami.
Jimmy Dean Original Fresh Pork Sausage Links ingredients
Pork
Water
Contains 2% or less of:
Corn syrup
Sodium lactate
Salt
Sugar
Monosodium glutamate
Flavorings
BHA
BHT
Citric acid
Beef collagen casings
Click here to view macro photos of Jimmy Dean sausages.
Oscar Mayer Smokies Coarse Ground Wieners ingredients
(Front label claims "Quality Meat, No Fillers")
Pork
Water
Beef
Contains less than 2% of:
Corn syrup
Salt
Sodium lactate
Flavor
Sodium phosphates
Monosodium glutamate
Sodium diacetate
Sodium erythorbate (made from sugar)
Sodium nitrite
Soy lecithin
Click here to view macro photos of the Oscar Mayer SmokiesIf you would like to be kept informed of future Photo Tours as they are released, be sure to
subscribe to our free e-mail newsletter which brings you these announcements as they are posted.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher, author and award-winning journalist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has created several downloadable courses on survival and preparedness, including his widely-downloaded course on personal safety and self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He's also the founder and CEO of a well known email mail merge software developer whose software, 'Email Marketing Director,' currently runs the NaturalNews email subscriptions. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and pursues hobbies such as martial arts, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening.
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Thursday, August 30, 2007
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