Healthy Profits
With all those mad cows, vegetarian food looks a little better every day.
While mad cow disease and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) currently
appear confined to Europe, images of diseased animals and burning
carcasses have crept into the United States. Granted, we're all
still eating Big Macs and T-bones, but our collective consciousness
has been pierced by the question: Could it happen here?
Not terribly likely, with all the safeguards put in place by the
FDA and the USDA. But now is still an opportune time to talk about
alternatives to meat. "There's been a widening [consumer
demand] for vegetarian-type dishes, particularly among younger
people," says Warren Belasco, a professor of American Studies
at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who teaches a
class on American foods. "They're more aware of the
general health issues-not just contamination issues, but heart
disease, cholesterol and fat issues as well."
It's no news flash that people want to eat healthier. But
combined with the FMD and Mad Cow phenomena, now's a great time
to get into the game-perhaps with a vegetarian-themed business, be
it pre-frozen veggie meals or a vegetarian restaurant.
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If you're a confessed carnivore, how about pumping the
virtues of organic and healthy meat, the kind that comes from
animals that aren't raised in the industrial-type environments
where Mad Cow or FMD are more likely to flourish? An all-organic
restaurant or a natural meal delivery service might be in the
cards.
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