Gotcha Mobile Machine displaying messages about "Cured Meats for Healthy Heartbeats" to 200,000 people gathered in St. Louis, MO for All Star Game 2009

All-Star Game attendees encouraged
to eat ‘Cured Meats for Healthy Heartbeat’
Medical research shows hot dogs and other cured meats offer health benefits

Nothing goes together like baseball and hot dogs, and with a growing body of medical evidence that suggests dietary nitrates - like those commonly found in hot dogs - are vital to the prevention of heart disease, attendees at the 2009 Major League Baseball All Star Game July 14 in St. Louis, MO, are being encouraged to enjoy both.

“Those attending this year’s All-Star game should enjoy a hot dog during the game knowing that it takes cured meats for healthy heartbeats,” said Trent Loos, a sixth generation farmer/rancher and founder of the Faces Of Agriculture.

For the past 10 years, Dr. Nathan Bryan, a medical researcher at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas, Houston Health Sciences Center, has been working to determine the importance of dietary nitrite and nitrate consumption as a means to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease and other diseases associated with nitric oxide insufficiency in the diet. In the process, he also has examined long-standing claims that the compounds cause certain cancers and found that indeed those risks do not exist.

Since the early 1980s there have been numerous reports on the association of N-nitrosamines and human cancers but a causative link between nitrite and nitrate exposure and cancer is still missing, according to Bryan. Furthermore, he noted that a two-year study on the carcinogenicity of nitrite by the National Institute of Health has conclusively found that there was no increased evidence of carcinogenic activity in male or female rats or mice as a result.

Moreover, if nitrite were a carcinogen, Bryan said people would be advised to avoid swallowing since saliva contains nitrite. Nitrites also are pumped directly into the heart for therapy purposes when heart attacks occur, he said.

“Nitrites and nitrates are naturally found in our bodies and are in no way a health risk. Quite simply, they are good for us and essential for our cardiovascular health,” said Bryant. He noted that cardio-protective levels of nitrites and nitrates can easily be achieved by increasing consumption of nitrite/nitrate-rich foods such as cured meats and leafy green vegetables.

“As a food producer, I’m quite excited about the work being conducted by Bryan and others regarding the medical benefits of hot dogs and other cured meats. I find it amazing that the much-feared nitrites that groups have been trying to scare us about all these years are really nothing more than a vitamin-like substance that turn out to be good for us and our hearts,” said Loos.

To tell the story of the health benefits associated with cured meats, Loos has hired a mobile media truck to drive around St. Louis on the day of the All-Star game with a billboard that simply reads, “Cured Meats for Healthy Heartbeats”. The mobile billboard will feature a young consumer enjoying a tasty and “healthy” hot dog, he said.

“A decade worth of research proves the health benefit of nitrites and nitrates in our diets. It is critical that this message begin to be heard and that people recognize it is okay, and actually good for them to enjoy cured meats in moderation and as part of a balanced diet,” said Loos.


Interviews/media availability:
To schedule an interview with Trent Loos or Dr. Nathan Bryant, call (515)418-8185 or email Loos at trent@loostales.com. Loos will be in the St. Louis area on game day and available for interviews.


For more information on meat as a health food:

- Cardioprotective actions of nitrite therapy and dietary considerations

- Food sources of nitrates and nitrites: the physiologic context for potential health benefits

- Nitrate in foods: harmful or healthy?

- Dietary nitrite prevents hypercholesterolemic microvascular inflammation and reverses endothelial dysfunction

- Cardiovascular prevention by dietary nitrate and nitrite

- Forward by from the medical textbook: "Food, Nutrition and the Nitric Oxide Pathway: Bioactivaton and Bioavailability." Written by Nobel Laureate Lou Ignarro

- Watch a video with Dr. Nathan Bryan

Message of integrity

I fully believe that lack of unity within the agricultural industry is the greatest challenge facing the future of all domestic food production. The soybean producers have proven that we can’t get along even within one sector of agriculture. The dairymen’s division between large and small has led the rejection of a technology that provides dairymen of all sizes a tremendous advantage. Some beef producers fully realize that they are producing beef while others demand that they only market cattle. I fully understand that divide and conquer has long been the weapon of choice when comes to winning battles and I personally don’t want to contribute to that arsenal. We can no longer sit back and allow anybody at any time to say whatever they feel like saying in the name of marketing their products.

For quite some time I have been troubled with the marketing campaign of Chipotle Mexican Grill but honestly I have been reluctant to say anything for the reason mentioned. That is no more. On June 16 Steve Ells was on Nightline discussing his “Food with Integrity” approach and completely misleading people about modern pork production. I have decided I will not let him get away with it anymore. I have recently forwarded the following letter to the owner of the fast food chain.

Dear Mr. Ells:

As owner of Chipotle Mexican Grill, I hereby request you immediately refrain from using the phrase “Food with integrity” until you find some yourself.

I have just watched the June 16 segment on Nightline and as a sixth generation United States farmer who has personally provided daily care for more than one million farm animals in my lifetime, I was appalled at some of your statements.

First off, as the filming was taking place, the pigs were seen drinking their own urine. I prefer my pork to come from pigs that consume fresh clean water instead of stale urine and feces-laced puddles.

As a kid, we raised pigs out in the hills and in those mud holes pigs exhibited their “piggyness.” Compared to today’s modern confinement pork production system, where comprehensive manure management plans are in place to protect the environment, our system of 30 years ago was not good for the environment in any shape or form. Trees still do not grow in the area where our pigs once roamed.

You also referenced that the free-range chicken served in your restaurants comes from chickens only fed vegetarian diets. I still today have free-ranging hens on my farm and they eat a vast number of insects and any dead animal carcass that might accidentally show up. So I am telling you there is zero integrity in a man who states our chickens only eat vegetarian diets if they come from free-range conditions.

Mr. Ells, I have been at every level in animal agriculture and I can tell you that modern agriculture, through confinement housing, has taken our nation’s food system to the most elite in the world. Today’s farmers produce the safest, most wholesome supply of food with fewer resources impacted than at any time in recorded history.

While we do indeed live in a country where you have the choice to reject the science and technology that has been the success story of American agriculture, I assure you I will not stand back and allow you to mislead the citizens of our country about the accomplishments of the livestock industry in the past 50 years of food production.

I do request that you issue a public apology for the incorrect information you have put forth to the American consumer.

Respectfully Trent Loos

I am pleased to report that I have received a response from Chipotle already but disappointed to inform you that they deny misleading American consumers. I plan to fully hold them accountable for the information they present and let the American public know that Chipotle Mexican Grill is not a place where they should be eating. Modern agriculture and confined animal agriculture is sustainable agriculture and if anyone attempts to tell you otherwise they are probably trying to sell you on their product and perhaps you need to double check their integrity.


Please send your comments as well here is the direct link
http://www.chipotle.com/#/flash/speak_comment

If you would like to view the Nightline piece link here

Chipolte pork comes from pigs that drink their own urine. I have just watched the Nightline segment that aired this week. Here are the comments I posted to their website

I am a sixth generation United States farmer and grew up raising pigs in this manner. I cannot believe that Nightline would promote the environment damage that comes along with this style of food production. We moved to confined facilities because we had no ability to protect the environment. I could take you to those pens today 30 years later where hogs had been rooting and show you the destruction of native vegetation. Most importantly the consumers should understand that those pigs in the background were drinking water from the very same puddle they urinated in. I prefer my pork from pigs that drink fresh water. I will never buy from Chipolte again. Furthermore invite me on your show to tell the real story of modern agriculture.

Link to orginal story

My comments submitted to Good Morning America in response to June 9, 2009 episode

As a sixth generation United States Farmer from Loup City NE, I am extremely disappointed with the bias information presented on modern food production in today’s program. As Chris obviously or intentionally missed the hypocrisy in the information presented by both Michael Pollan and Robert Kenner promoting Food, Inc. The most glaring example would be the mention that food shortages are looming yet the solution presented was reverting back to food production methods of the 1930’s when one farmer fed 10 people. Today’s American Farmer feeds 164 people annually with the safest most reasonably priced food the world has ever seen. Last year the American consumer still only spent 10% of his/her disposable income on food despite reporting of higher food prices by major media sources such as Good Morning America.

I would request the opportunity to come on the show and set the record straight not only about the safety of today’s food system but also how “green” or efficient the whole system is. Cornell University just this week released a study indicating that today’s food system emits 63% less carbon per unit of food produced than the same unit of food produced in 1954. Please give me the opportunity to tell your viewers what is really happening with science, technology and human intervention that benefits 6.7 billion people globally.

With the Western action on my Facebook page in the past week I feel compelled to share some thoughts with my real friends. I do appreciate all of the calls with your concern about my mental health but trust me I had a plan.

In the past nine years as I have taken on more a of public life dealing with and confronting the challenges I see ahead of us in Animal Agriculture I have met several people like Dave Warwak and Camille Marino. I felt as it began to unfold a little over a week ago it was a tremendous avenue to show you up close and personal how some people see those of us in animal agriculture.

First lesson I hope you picked up is the people like this truly see themselves as the modern day Martin Luther King Jr. for animals. They have convinced themselves that taking the life of an animal is no different than that of another human being. As foreign as this thinking may be to you and I who have grown up in agriculture you must understand they see the ownership of animals no different than the ownership of slave’s pre-civil war.

Consequently when we argue it is matter of person choice they see it as you saying we have slaves if you don’t want them that is your choice. I believe you can see how effective it will be and was. One person who has very public about his belief along these lines is Dr. Stephen Best who until very recently was teaching a course with this as the moral at the University of Texas, El Paso. If you would like to get more details link here
http://netcu.wordpress.com/about/what-is-animal-rights/

Finally you ask what do we do? I believe the only avenue to combat this is to speak to the essentials that animals provide to humans. As Christians we believe the life of a human is superior to all other species. It is our moral and ethical obligation to tend the land and animals and in turn improve other human lives. Which brings about another common denominator that I frequently find with individuals who further the rights of animals, that is the lack of Christianity.

One another note 9 years ago as I started this crusade militant vegans were out there and could be found. I don’t need to tell you what has happened to the number people involved in agriculture in the past 9 years and at the other end of the spectrum the individuals I just introduced you to are MUCH easier to come by.

One side note. Wayne Pacelle President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United Sates does not differ in his belief from that of Dave and Camille. He simply chooses a much different approach in accomplishing the end goal, Animal Liberation.

I hope whether you agree or disagree with the approach I have taken in the past week you will at least respect and have a better grasp on some the extremism that does exist as all of us strive to be better advocates for an way of life that others fail to understand.

Trent Loos
Proudly 6th generation United States Rancher

Written for Feedstuffs Newspaper May 16th 2009

Memorial Day approaches

I have finally found a place where I have a hard time coming up with words. I have been seeking every opportunity I can find to say thank you to all men and women who have been willing serve in the United States Military. With Memorial Day fast approaching, it is time we pause for moment in our otherwise hectic lives and remind ourselves how lucky we are, thanks to the American Soldier. Dating clear back to May 30, 1868 we began honoring the fallen soldier and saying thank you. While most of us in the business of animal agriculture think of it as great grilling weekend, it is our obligation to pause for a moment in remembrance of the millions of soldiers who died protecting our freedom.

Last week I had Captain Bret Bellizio on my Rural Route Radio program. He contacted me because, in his words, “the major media sources always talk about what is happening in Baghdad but rural Iraq has tremendous story to tell” For one hour he spoke of the one year he served in rural Iraq and how they are working hard to bring back the agricultural heritage that was once there. Honestly, as he walks through his daily routine and the number of times he puts himself in harms way, I simply find it hard to feel like I have contributed much of anything to the betterment of the world in comparison.

In April 2008 a great friend of mine, Vietnam Veteran Bill Broadie from Ashland, Kansas, began the All American Beef Battalion. Bill has it in his head that he will be able to feed every soldier a beef steak. In the first year, he has successfully fed nearly 12,000 American Soldiers a steak saying thank you. I have been fortunate enough to be a part of some of these events. My first one was in Watkins, CO on July 3, 2008 for a group of soldiers just returning from Iraq, and their families as well. Imagine if you will, fifteen cowboys - real ranchers - show up with their grill and the tools and equipment to feed over 200 people in less than 20 minutes.

The most recent event I attended was just over a week ago in Wichita KS. The soldiers here were from the Fort Riley Wounded Warrior Transition Unit and some real revelations hit me while we were eating. I was eating and just listening to the soldiers talk about life after war. In fact, these three were discussing how they cope and they all agreed that it took years after returning home before they would not grab a weapon during a thunderstorm. In fact, one said it was so bad that during last years Independence Day celebration, he had to go the basement to isolate himself from the noise. How does that hit you? The very celebration that we shoot off fireworks to honor the soldiers who were on the front lines protecting our continuing freedom and it forces them into hiding. I don’t think the average citizen can even imagine what they have gone through or must deal with upon their return.

I am so humbled every time I interact with a soldier and I don’t feel like I find the right words to express my appreciation. I still strongly encourage you to wear a red shirt every Friday say “thank you” to the soldiers you know or meet. I still plan to get into all 50 states with Chuckwagon and feature a veteran just to say thank you. I still plan to show up at as many All American Beef Battalion steak feeds as I possibly can. I certainly plan to spend the appropriate amount of time this Memorial Day thinking of the soldiers. All of that still doesn’t seem to be enough.

The American Soldier and the American Farmer/Rancher are absolutely the two individuals most important to the national security of this country. I honestly believe that if we will continue to stand side by side with one another we can continue to maintain a safe, free nation. For 233 years individuals have been willing to risk everything for the sake of ensuring the freedom of American citizens and from where I sit I know folks from Rural American will continue to say “pick me.” Thank you!