Pig and Beef Blood Used in Food Supply

Apparently a blood-based additive developed in the Netherlands is part of the processed food supply:

First pink slime, now ‘meat glue’

Seattle Times excerpt…

The additive with the unappetizing nickname is used to produce meats found in supermarkets, in local delis and in restaurants ranging from fast food to fine dining. Even vegetarian food isn’t exempt.

Marketing consultants and food scientists estimate — because no company will discuss sales figures — that 11 percent to 35 percent of all packaged and sliced ham, beef, chicken, fish, pizza toppings and other deli products are enhanced, restructured or molded using the meat glue, made from one of two brands of protein adhesive…Like the “pink slime” used as a cheap ground-beef filler, meat glue is not considered a health risk by federal food watchdogs…

One of the two most common forms of meat glue used in this country is…Fibrimex, made of enzymes extracted from pig or beef blood by a process developed in The Netherlands. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2018184672_meatglue11.html

The Bible prohibits eating blood:

10 ‘And whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’ 12 Therefore I said to the children of Israel, ‘No one among you shall eat blood, nor shall any stranger who dwells among you eat blood.’ (Leviticus 17:10-12)

Humans continue to ignore much of what the word of God teaches, because of ignorance, greed, and believing lies. As far as greed goes, the federal government official who approved “pink slime” received over one million dollars from a particular meat processing company for her work in the industry. So, I have issues with certain federal safety claims.

Interestingly, however, even as late as the early third century, those affiliated with the Roman Church would not eat blood (which is also prohibited in the Old and New Testaments). Notice that Tertullian that Christians considered the consumption of blood unlawful when he wrote to those who accused Christians of eating human blood:

To clench the matter with a single example, you tempt Christians with sausages of blood, just because you are perfectly aware that the thing by which you thus try to get them to transgress they hold unlawful. And how unreasonable it is to believe that those, of whom you are convinced that they regard with horror the idea of tasting the blood of oxen, are eager after blood of men (Tertullian. Apology. Chapter 9. Translated by S. Thelwall).

Notice what Acts states:

… we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath (Acts 15:20-21).

Of course, it is not just blood that people should avoid. The Bible also teaches that no one should eat pork. While the pork industry wants to tout the alleged health benefits of pork, various news items have found health risks associated with consuming it (for some details see The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats). Pigs have always carried diseases that could hurt humans.

And most people are aware that consumption of pork/swine has been biblically prohibited:

7 and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you. 8 Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you. (Leviticus 11:7-8)

FWIW, there is no scripture in the Bible that shows that any one called of God in either the Old or New Testaments ever ate pork. Some may be surprised to hear that.

It may be of interest to note to some readers of this page that I was on the local NBC television news station (KSBY) earlier this week denouncing “pink slime.” Pink slime is basically bits of animal that humans used to not eat, but is processed with ammonium hydroxide and added to hamburger. “Pink slime” is not biblically unclean per se, it is just that it makes little sense to intentionally consume highly ammonia-processed food. “Pink slime” is essentially used to increase profitability for the meat industry–not to improve health.

There are enough environmental toxins these days to justify trying to avoid items such as ammonia and blood–and of course, true Christians try to live by biblical instructions. Eating less processed foods is also normally a wise thing to do these days.

Check out what the Bible teaches and do not eat pork or blood

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous?
Obesity and Prophecy Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous?
UK Study Supports Daniel Diet Daniel and his companions looked better eating more vegetables and avoiding strange meats. Has modern science confirmed this?