Monday, October 22, 2012

The Global Swinespiracy or How the Pig Made Modern Civilization Possible

The words that you will read in this report, to some at least, will be shocking, to other wondrous. This is a short story on how one animal has contributed to making modern civilization possible in more ways than you can imagine.

There are no facets of our lives that the pig does not touch and for those to whom this is an unclean animal, such as Muslims and to a lesser extent Jews, or who do not believe in using animal products, such as vegans, my only advice is: go find an island or a cave, because if you live anywhere in the modern world, you are, on a daily and constant basis, in contact with some element, that is, some part of a pig.

In all, there are 183 different types of products made from the swine and those do not count the direct delicious ones: pork chops, ribs, bacon, ham and so on. Indeed, even the beef you eat, unless you are buying prime grade or are actively watching the butcher do his job, may have pig blood in it. A product made from pig blood, known as meat glue, is actively used by many companies to glue together some left over bits of beef into larger chunks and than to resell them as a lower grade of steak. Yup, there goes the beef industry.

However, the penetration of pig goes much much further than that. Do you shower? Wash your hair? Conduct basic hygiene? Chances are, you've encountered porky and no he was not watching you through the window. Pork fats are often used in the production of shampoos, soap, creams. They are also used in the production of sweets, chewy candies and puddings of all sorts and flavors.

While we are at it, on food, processed elements of pig skin go into protein bars (the non-meat variety), chewy candies (yup again), chewing gum and those breath mints everyone loves so their breath does not stink of eaten meat. Gelatin from swine is used in yogurts (so much for healthy non-meat eating), souffles, tarramisu, icecream, cakes and so on. Gelatin is even used in the filtration of beer, wine and many fruit juices. So even if your religion forbids alcohol, might as well give up fruit juices.

But we are not done yet, not even with the food part. Processed pig hair has enzymes that are used in the production of wheat products. Other substitutes are chicken feathers and human hair, but the pig hair is much cheaper. It makes the doe softer and easier to work. Pig internals are the primary ingredient in many cat and dog foods.

The list goes on and on, from crayons, to binder in pills and tablets, to transplant tissues to laundry detergents.

Pig even goes into your infrastructure. Pig bones are boiled down and the foam is used for the production of porous concrete for road construction. Boiled pig bones are also used in the production of matches to keep the sulfur match head attached to the match. Its also used as a binder for books and as a key ingredient in thick black paint. Gelatin from bone are also used in the production of copier paper, foto film, and medicines. Porcelain and automobile brake disks also use swine bone ash. as well as train brakes.

Worst of all, for some, its used in bullet production, particularly the powder. Hmm, that could put a crimp in any religious war whose followers can not use or touch or abide by pig, when every bullet they handle is a sin.

But have a cigarette and relax about it....oops, except pig blood is used in the production of cigarette filters. There goes the lungs.

2 comments:

Mattexian said...

Hmm, and to think the gun owners over here can buy "bacon lube" for their guns, tho it's banned in the military for our soldier's use, lest we offend our nominal allies and enemies. Personally, I've been saying for many years that if we were serious about this "War on Terrorism" against the Mohammedists, then we'd have Hormel and Oscar Meyer's factories running 24/7 and we'd carpet-bomb the bastids with Bacon Bits!

Anonymous said...

Every member of a pig is used, thus one may conclude that nothing goes to waste.