to control, Europe and Japan restrict the use of antibiotics in animals Humane Meat Production To many people, the mass production of livestock is itself undesirable In a series of legislative acts and executive orders dating back to 1978, Switzerland has mandated that producers accommodate the needs of their animals for such things as living space, access to the outdoors, and natural light, and limit the size of herds and flocks The European Union is also adopting animal welfare guidelines for meat production, and producers in a number of countries have grouped together to establish and monitor their own voluntary guidelines Mass production has certainly made meat a more affordable food than it would be otherwise But because we raise meat animals in order to eat them, it seems only just that we try to make their brief lives as satisfying as possible It would certainly be a challenge to raise meat animals economically while taking their nature and instincts into account and allowing them the opportunity to roam, nest, and nurture their young But it’s a challenge at least as worthy as finding a way to trim another 1% from production costs The Structure and Qualities of Meat Lean meat is made up of three basic materials: it’s about 75% water, 20% protein, and 3% fat These materials are woven into three kinds of tissue The main tissue is the mass of muscle cells, the long fibers that cause movement when they contract and relax Surrounding the muscle fibers is the connective tissue, a kind of living glue that harnesses the fibers together and to the bones that they move And interspersed among the ... materials: it’s about 75% water, 20% protein, and 3% fat These materials are woven into three kinds of tissue The main tissue is the mass of muscle cells, the long fibers that cause movement when they contract and relax Surrounding the muscle fibers is the. .. Surrounding the muscle fibers is the connective tissue, a kind of living glue that harnesses the fibers together and to the bones that they move And interspersed among the ... allowing them the opportunity to roam, nest, and nurture their young But it’s a challenge at least as worthy as finding a way to trim another 1% from production costs The Structure and Qualities of Meat Lean meat is made up of three basic