The recent Listeria contamination encourages us to reflect more deeply on the
necessary and vital control of the quality of the products we consume. If
controls exist, and judging from the authorities assigned to maintain them they
do, what about quality?
If we are truly looking for quality in the meat destined for our consumption, it
would be logical to assume that this quality would be found in the products used
to feed these very animals. However, the vast majority of animals in the food
chain destined to “nourish” us are themselves not nourished according to their
own nature.
To cite just one example, cattle, which are herbivores (that is, whose diet
consists naturally of only live plants), are required—in a logic dominated by
profit—to eat cereals, including corn, which is harmful to their system,
activating a breeding ground for bacteria, which then makes the use of
antibiotics indispensable.
This vicious circle stops when reflection begins. Philosophers are unique in
that they strive to ensure that what they consume (from food for the body to
food for the spirit) is in accordance with its profound nature, and enable it to
grow and gain elevation. It is essential for their very survival!
