When Americans head to their local grocery store to buy food for their families, they want to feel confident that it’s healthy and safe to eat. While consuming food that is safe to eat might be something most Americans take for granted, it is not a given.

Many factors go into ensuring the food we eat is safe, including the way farm animals are raised. California voters took an important step on this issue in 2018 when they overwhelmingly passed Proposition 12. Unfortunately for Californians, a legal challenge from multinational pork industry conglomerates unhappy with Californians’ preference for pigs sourced from better conditions is threatening to undo their huge step forward on food safety. Even though pork producers have lost at every step along the way in the litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear their case this fall.

One goal of Proposition 12 is to improve the safety of pork sold in California by attempting to mitigate the risks associated with industrial pork production. The measure sets a standard that any pork sold in California cannot come from facilities that do not give breeding pigs enough room even to turn around. By sourcing pork raised in safer, more humane conditions, Californians reduce the risks that their pork will be contaminated with foodborne illnesses like Salmonella or that its production will contribute to the spread of infectious diseases, and even pandemics, like swine flu.

State sales laws like Proposition 12 – which further public health – are especially essential because of a lack of federal laws related to the on-farm treatment of pigs. And too often, profits take precedence over everything else. About 70 percent of breeding pigs are kept in crates so tiny that they quite literally cannot move more than a step forward or backward.

Foodborne illnesses are a major contributor to increased health care costs, with studies estimating that the annual costs associated with pork-borne illnesses are over $5.5 billion. Those at the highest risk are typically the most vulnerable among us. Children and individuals over the age of 50 with reduced immunity are at the highest risk of experiencing a severe outcome due to compromised food safety.

The good news is that the science to prevent foodborne illness is clear. Scientists recommend reducing the spread of diseases among animals on farms to reduce the risk of consuming contaminated food. One of the most practical ways to ensure our food is safe to consume is by raising these animals in healthy environments.

But major pork producers take a different and concerning approach when it comes to raising animals, endangering the safety of our food by packing thousands of pigs into small spaces to maximize profits. While this approach is lucrative for the pork industry, it creates a petri dish of potential health hazards. Taking these hazards into account, California voters voted overwhelmingly in favor of Proposition 12 to ensure that pork sold within the state is both humanely sourced and safe.

If California’s Proposition 12 is struck down and the United States Supreme Court sides with these multinational pork-producing conglomerates, our health and safety will be at the mercy of corporations that do not have our best interests at heart. We cannot allow this to happen when it comes to something as important as the safety of our food. We need the Supreme Court to uphold the decision California voters have already made.  We need the Supreme Court to prioritize Californians’ food safety over the pockets of the profit-first, safety-second multinational pork producers.

The Midwest Council is an alliance of businesses throughout the Midwest. Its goal is to advance the Midwest by promoting the shared strengths and diverse economies of the region.

Note: This article has been updated with new statistics on the confinement of breeding pigs.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email