Microbes in Deli Meats May Be Linked to Higher Worker Mortality
Meat-eating is widely known to be a leading cause of various diseases and health ailments. Now, extensive research of more than 10,000 workers over 50 years at supermarket delicatessens finds that exposure to various microbes contained in meat may be significantly contributing to a higher mortality rate. The study found that, compared to the general U.S. population, deli workers had much higher rates of death from from diabetes, ischemic heart disease, pulmonary embolism, chronic bronchitis, peritonitis, intracranial and intraspinal abscess, and other bacterial diseases.
The increased risk of death from various infectious conditions is closely related to the microbes found in different kinds of meat, suggesting that the increase in death rate is quite possibly due to occupational exposure. The results are important for both those working with meat and “the general population [which] is exposed to these microorganisms found in food animals and their products.” For advocates, the findings from studies like this reiterate that the meat industry is not only devastating for animals, but is also dangerous to humans at virtually every level of the supply chain.