Petition against Tyson

I get emails from change.org, a place where people can start petitions for pretty much anything. Most of them I end up signing. I got one this morning that is worth sharing. It's against Tyson chicken.

The petition was started by a poultry inspector at one the their plants. She has worked there for 16 years, but has come down with many health problems since they started washing down all the chicken with a chemical called peracetic acid.

On its wikipedia page under Safety, it says "Exposure to peracetic acid can cause irritation to the skin, eyes and respiratory system and higher or long-term exposure can cause permanent lung damage. In addition, there have been cases of occupational asthma caused by peracetic acid."

Here is a little taken from the petition:

I want Tyson to be an industry leader and stop using these chemicals, especially peracetic acid, which is poured all over these carcasses.

Currently, I'm suffering from health problems, including asthma attacks, sinus problems, and even organ damage. My failing health has seriously impacted my lifestyle and may have ended my 16-year career as an inspector. As highlighted in a recent Washington Post article, chemical problems seem to be cropping up in plants all over the country.

As of the moment I am writing this, the USDA has not done any formal evaluation of how these chemicals affect workers' health. Additionally, there have been no studies of how these dangerous chemicals, directly applied to the carcasses in processing, affect humans' health other than directly from the very companies that profit from their sale.

My doctors told me they have witnessed an increasing amount of patients coming from the Tyson plant with similar symptoms, including respiratory infections, eye irritation, and the development of serious allergies.

You can check out the petition, and for as long as it's active, I encourage you to sign it.