01/02/09 Pseudo science fallacy II

Yesterday, I told you about the not-so-scientific conclusions set forth by two meat researchers. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be right back with more comments. Dave Jolley with cattlenetwork reported Hope Jahren and Rebecca Kraft just released their findings from a two-year research project testing beef and poultry products used by McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy's. The investigators used a testing method to identify nitrogen and carbon isotopes in these meat products. They concluded the animals were fed corn and raised in "extreme confinement." Well, Duh - on the animals being fed corn. As Dave Jolley says the women wasted two years of research since they could have asked anyone in the poultry or cattle industry and they would have been told corn is a large part of the animals' diet. As to the "extreme confinement" conclusion  that could be a matter of individual perspective. Burger King and McDonald' didn't acknowledge the research with a comment, but Wendy's stated their company has "very strict procedures in place" to protect animal welfare. Those guidelines were developed by Temple Grandin a lady who is one of the world's foremost experts on this subject. Janet Riley, senior vice president of public affairs with the American Meat Institute offered that carbon and nitrogen isotopes are naturally occurring in the environment, humans and animals. It seems the research didn't reveal any new startling facts but the conclusions were full of loaded terminology. Maybe our would-be scientists have an agenda against meat. I'm Jeff Keane, Dave Jolley, cattlenetwork, 11/14/08