confident, I think your perceptions of cruelty have been formed by the media using snippets of exceptions rather than the rule in order to sensationlise a story of little interest otherwise. No doubt a similar story could be put together in the abattoirs here where the meat you eat is slaughtered. Whilst the slaughter process can be stressful to the animals who can hear and smell what is happening, and sense danger, the fact is that unless the animals are treated in a calm manner and quickly led to slaughter without becoming excited, the levels of latic acid will change and the meat will darken and become considerably tough. This effect can be overcome to a degree by aging for perhaps as long as 6 weeks, but in the ME the meat is normally consumed fresh. Irrespective of where in the world animals are slaughtered, this relationship of stress and toughness is known, and nowhere in the world to my knowledge does anyone prefer tough meat to tender. Consumers soon wake up if one source of meat is always tougher than that from another source and even if they do buy it, they will want it cheap. But then here in Australia, often the meat offered in city supermarkets is not as tender as what is often available in the country, and generally at elevated prices, so perhaps the animal slaughtered is not the only one being bled dry. Perhaps that is why the supermarkets are selling so many marinades now.
