When most people think about Super Bowl Sunday, they picture
sports jerseys and clever advertisements, but I don’t. Nope. I think about the
more than 700 million chickens who were raised and killed for their thighs and
wings.
Super
Bowl Sunday is the second-largest day for U.S. food consumption after Thanksgiving.
Essentially, the Super Bowl is to the food industry what Christmas is to
retail. And according to the National
Chicken Council’s annual “Chicken
Wing Report, Americans will eat 1.35 billion wings during Super Bowl weekend.
Sadly, this is up 1.5 percent, or 20 million wings, from 2017.
According to the NCC, 1.35 billion wings is enough to circle
the Earth three times. It’s also enough to put 625 wings on every seat in all
32 NFL stadiums. But enough with these callous visualizations because, after
all, we’re talking about chickens’ body parts.
Nearly all the chickens who will be consumed on Super
Bowl Sunday are from factory farms. These intelligent
and sensitive animals are subjected to cruelties few of us can even
imagine, including intensive confinement, excruciating mutilations, and brutal slaughter.
Chickens raised and killed for meat are bred to grow so quickly
they endure chronic, debilitating pain and frequently become immobilized
under their own weight. They also suffer
heart attacks, organ failure, and other problems because of rapid growth.
At the slaughterhouse, these innocent animals are violently
shackled upside down, painfully shocked with electricity, and cut open at the
throat—often while still conscious and able to feel pain.
Multiple undercover investigations by Mercy For Animals into
Tyson Foods—the world’s largest poultry producer—have exposed horrific abuse,
including sick and injured birds left to languish in filth; workers viciously punching,
beating, and stabbing animals; and live, conscious birds having their heads
ripped off.
Don’t believe us? See for yourself.
To make matters worse, not a single U.S. federal law
protects animals during their lives at factory farms, and the law
that’s supposed to protect animals at slaughterhouses, the Humane Methods of Slaughter
Act, doesn’t extend to birds, leaving chickens with virtually no protection
from abuse.
Luckily, with a wide variety of delicious
and humane meat-free options readily available, everyone can enjoy their
favorite flavors without supporting animal cruelty.
So this Super Bowl Sunday, whether you’re rooting for the
Patriots or the Eagles, or you’re just looking to spend some time with your friends
and family, make sure to enjoy the big game day vegan-style.
Click here for a list of
mouthwatering plant-based recipes perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!