Background/HistoryMeat has been part of our diet since the beginning of humanity. We eat meat every day without thinking. It's hard to avoid meat since it's everywhere we go. Meat constitutes the majority of the diet today. There are very few vegetarian or vegan options in the food industry. However, it has become increasingly popular since it became a way of life. The reason is the ugly truth of today's meat industry. For those who can't stand the truth, adopt the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. In 1906, Upton Sinclair's book The Jungle was the starting point when the new meat industry was revealed. This is when the Meat Inspection Act and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) were born. With demand for meat so high, farmers had to take shortcuts to raise chickens, cows and other animals. Then antibiotics arrived and made it easier to raise animals. Unfortunately, high demand and shortcuts have made the animal's living conditions unsuitable. The meat produced today is very different from what it was then. Most meats are now full of hormones that make them plumper. Animal rights and health issues are a huge problem in the meat industry. We can eat meat without thinking, but have we ever thought about where it came from or how it was processed when it was still alive? The truth about the meat industry could change the minds of meat eaters. They might be more aware of what they are actually consuming and think twice. Meat is still a controversial topic today, as more and more animal rights activists protest and others fight back. While some have given up completely and are fighting for animal rights. Even today, opponents are fighting head-on to keep the meat industry alive and growing. It is difficult for non-meat products to have a middle of paper that would be expensive but would be more decent than it is now. When this happens, people will be more conscious of what they eat. Works Cited Caruba, Alan. “Meat production has nothing to do with global warming.” Vegetarianism, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.Web. January 31, 2014. Motavalli, Jim. “Factory-made, meat-based diets can cause a food shortage crisis.” FactoryFarming Ed., 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Internet. January 31, 2014. Niman. “Meat can be part of a sustainable food system.” Vegetarianism, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Internet. January 31, 2014. Sinilong, Iris. “Most people don’t know how much factory farms are suffering.” Factory Farming Ed., 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Internet. January 31, 2014. Tuffrey, Laurie. “People need to eat less meat.” Factory Farming Ed., 2012. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Internet. January 31. 2014.