Letter to the editor: Declare independence from meat on July 4

There is actually good news from covid-19 for this Independence Day. We won’t be facing heavy traffic. And the meat shortage will keep us safe from our outdoor grills.

Folks who grill hamburgers and hot dogs face a nasty choice. The U.S. Meat and Poultry Hotline advises grilling at high temperature to avoid food poisoning by E. coli and Salmonella bacteria. But the National Cancer Institute warns that high-temperature grilling of processed meats generates cancer-causing compounds.

Fortunately, we no longer need to choose between food poisoning and cancer. A bunch of enterprising U.S. food processors have met this challenge head-on by developing a rich variety of convenient, healthful, delicious plant-based veggie burgers, veggie dogs and soy nuggets. These products don’t harbor nasty bugs or cancer-causing compounds. They are missing the cholesterol, saturated fats, drugs, hormones and pesticides of their animal-based alternatives. And, they are waiting for us in the frozen food sections of our favorite supermarkets, along with nut-based ice creams and other dairy-free desserts.

On this Independence Day, let’s declare our independence from the meat industry, which exposed its workers to covid-19 infection. And let’s stay away from both the covid-19 and the barbecue bugs.

Peter Putzmann

Washington, Pa.