# Pork stores toxins? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 3, 2009, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-stores-toxins/512451 "2009-10-03T13:59:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dufus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c77e96/32.png) [@Dufus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dufus)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-stores-toxins/512451/21 "2011-05-11T01:42:57Z")
The Old Testament told the Jews what foods were healthy for them. Buzzards and pigs were forbidden because they were scavengers (they eat rotten, decomposing meat). The only fish that were allowed on the menu had to have scales and fins. That leaves out shit eating bottom feeders like cat fish and shell fish. Jesus came along and pretty much said the Goyum can eat anything they want. That’s why we have neon signs advertising “Grain Fed Pork” and “Grain Fed Catfish”. They don’t tell you that the grain is fed to the pigs first. For some reason, “Grain Fed Buzzards” has not caught on in popularity. ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-stores-toxins/512451/22 "2011-05-11T02:39:02Z")
> [@sharfe](#): > > On the other hand, pork contains parasites that no matter how many times you pork fans say they don’t you can’t get away from tape worms and the others. It’s fact, not fiction, and easily verifiable from a great many accredited institutions and sources. stop arguing it and accept it. A lot of things contain parasites, what makes pork different? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-stores-toxins/512451/23 "2011-05-11T02:55:28Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > To cite just a couple of the crazy elements, there’s the claim that animals accidentally fed pig liver developed cancer “within a few days”. Sorry, that doesn’t happen even with real carcinogens. And the statement that “pigs are often infected with trichina” is grotesquely out of date and wrong. Be careful here. There are [transmissible cancers](http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/webpages/lbun-5qf86g) that will cause the development of cancer “within a few days”. I have never heard of such cancers in pig liver, but it is entirely plausible that they do exist and have been studied in laboratory trials. So unless you have some unambiguous evidence to the contrary, you should not claim that this does not happen. It is at the very least highly plausible that such an agent could exist. Similarly, much, probably most, of the world’s pork is produced in East Asia, where trichinosis remains epidemic. So it is certainly true to claim that “pigs are often infected with trichina”. It may be misleading when writing for a US audience, but it is perfectly true. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-stores-toxins/512451/24 "2011-05-11T07:42:34Z")
> [@Dufus](#): > > The only fish that were allowed on the menu had to have scales and fins. That leaves out shit eating bottom feeders like cat fish and shell fish. But _leaves in_ scaly shit-eating bottom feeders like carp and grey mullet (both common in Europe/Asia). The correlation you’re seeing here is cherry-picked. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-stores-toxins/512451/25 "2011-05-11T09:34:01Z")
> [@sharfe](#): > > Is pork toxic? > > I love this discussion because so many people come down on the side of no it isn’t because they love to eat it. The people who come down on the side that it is get booed away or told they are fools because of x and y and z. > > Let’s finalize this whole argument. > > On the one hand g-d said don’t eat it, so don’t eat it. > > On the other hand, pork contains parasites that no matter how many times you pork fans say they don’t you can’t get away from tape worms and the others. It’s fact, not fiction, and easily verifiable from a great many accredited institutions and sources. stop arguing it and accept it. > > Pork in many forms is loaded with carcinogens, you know, that stuff that causes cancers. > > Even if all of the rest of this were not true, this story shows why pork is toxic to produce and eat. > > [Another Something Foul in the Air above Hog Farms](http://www.bu.edu/sjmag/scimag2005/features/hogfarm.htm) > > Now, if you go read that, you can become a champion for clear air, an advocate for better controls on use of antibiotics, demand change in the raising of pork (beef and other meat animals too), a vegetarian, or add it to your pork addict/apologist arsenal. > > Here are some facts for you. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics has lead to a massive increase in bacteria resistance to same substances. Illness and death from these strains has increased regularly and dramatically. Now even if there weren’t a number of said resistant bacteria out there thanks to indiscriminate use of antibiotics, my all time fave has been found in that floating cloud of health hazard over pork farms, and it should scare the pants off you. MRSA, that handy dandy source of death and amputation, has been found in the dust cloud, in pig feces, in the flesh, and on the skin of said animal. > > Now I am certain you can find similar information on cow, sheep, chicken, etc farms, but that alone says large scale pig farming, or even small scale where the use of antibiotics is rampant, should be cleaned up or eliminated. > > A note to vegetarians: I am not a plant based life form. I do not agree with your suicidal tendencies. I understand my need for animal fat since our organism developed from eating it, survives due to it, and needs it for our brains to properly grow and function. Please do not see me as your brother. I am not out to get rid of meat, merely farm it responsibly. > > I am a jew, this is a matter of disclosure, and so I do not like pork from that perspective, but I want you to notice I am addressing this last, even though I started off with that. I do not say you christians should not eat pork because g-d said not to and leave it at that. In fact, eat all the pork you desire to, because g-d was talking to us and not you. We are not the same. But please give some thought to the health issues when you make that decision after, hopefully, reading that report I linked above. > > And if you decide to eat that ham sandwich, more power to you. This is America, and it is your right. > > Good night, and good luck. > > -Jon You know. this is probably one of the better written posts I have read in a long time. Precise, well argued and calm. Makes me wish we had a rep system here. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-stores-toxins/512451/26 "2011-05-11T11:37:09Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > You know. this is probably one of the better written posts I have read in a long time. Precise, well argued and calm. Makes me wish we had a rep system here. Pity there’s still a lot of bullshit - er, pig shit - still in it. Bonus points for ascribing “suicidal tendencies” to vegetarians, and for being an indiscriminate Googler to raise the old thread up for no good reason other than wanting to bitch at pork eaters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-stores-toxins/512451.md?page=1)