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Media release
Monday 27th October 2003
BRITISH SAUSAGE APPRECIATION
WEEK CONDEMNED
Viva! has condemned British Sausage Appreciation
Week as a futile attempt to rebrand a product people know
to be outdated, unhealthy and made from sadly-abused animals.
Supporters of the organisation will be holding protests at
various BSAW promotions around the country over the following
week.
Around 10 million pigs are slaughtered for food in the UK
each year, around 90% of which will have been reared on factory
farms. Viva! has investigated dozens of factory farms and
found repeated evidence of severe animal suffering including
pneumonia, hernias, ulcerated prolapses, skin lesions, lameness
and countless emaciated, dying and dead piglets. Around 4-500,000
sows each year are confined to tiny metal cages called farrowing
crates to give birth and suckle their young. Pigs require
almost constant administration of antibiotics and other drugs
to keep the diseases associated with factory farming at bay.
Meanwhile, the Food Standards Agency has recently reported
that the amount of salt in an average portion of sausages
has actually gone up from 2.2 to 2.4g per portion since 1991
while the fat quantity in "high quality" sausages
also increased from 15g to over 20g in same period.
Viva! campaigner Alistair Currie said "This is a futile
attempt to promote sausages as glamorous, high quality food.
The reality is that this is the kind of food that belongs
in the dustbin of history - and the kitchen bin too. Sausages
are laden with fat and salt and - most important of all -
are the products of horrific animal exploitation. Pigs are
fabulously intelligent, characterful and active animals which
are treated as no more than meat production lines by a brutal
industry interested only in squeezing as much money as it
can out of them. Viva! supporters will be protesting at promotions
around the country to remind people that the main ingredient
of sausages is still animal suffering. There are loads of
healthy and tasty veggie sausages available these days - people
should try those instead."
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