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Cows Are Actually Being Fed Candy Due To Drought

I'm expecting someone from the GOP to start spinning the virtues of candy-corn-fed beef any day now. If they can continue to deny climate change in the face of overwhelming evidence, surely they'll be able to deny there's anything wrong with reports that ranchers are resorting to candy as cattle feed. Effects of this year's drought include rising food prices; stalled commerce due to the inability to navigate the historically low Mississippi River; power plant shutdowns due to lack of water; and even a surge in cases of West Nile Virus. And then there are the candy-fed cows. With grassland withered, and corn feed out-of-reach due to cost, farmers are looking for other options. So we have the spectacle of cattle being fed expired candy, mixed with an ethanol by-product and mineral supplements. (Bet that burger's sounding tastier by the minute!) Regardless of how the cows fare, cattle fed anything other than grass are more prone to e.coli contamination so this is a food safety issue for us all.