The Eggplant in the Room

As we go about our daily lives, those of us that are fortunate enough to have our breakfast, lunch and dinner each day are often unaware, sometimes blissfully and sometimes willingly, of a crucial part of the process that went into putting that food on our plates. There are certain things we may want to know, and others we prefer just not to think about. But there's an inconvenient truth about our food system - a blind spot that so far we've really just paid lip service to. Over the years, there's been countless animal rights organisations that have formed which protect animals from cruelty. They've even managed to work their ideas into legislation. In many countries enshrined under law, there are some animals that are illegal to kill in almost any circumstance and others whereby it's still illegal, unless done under strictly humane methods that are recommended and sometimes even inspected every so often by organisations like the RSPCA and Red Tractor. An example of this, the most common humane method for pig stunning and slaughter in most western nations, is to enclose them in cages with a few other pigs and lower them into dark underground CO2 gas chambers - similar to those used in Nazi Germany. The thought of this is palatable to most, as we know that the pigs were cared for until the end, treated humanely and that we wouldn't survive if we'd have ordered anything but that bacon sandwich for breakfast. Although how our food animals were and are treated is at the forefront of our minds when we order their dismembered remains, when was the last time you thought about that potato on your plate and whether it was spared the cruelty we spare animals from?