Twenty-five years after Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation exposed the practices of industrial food giants, the dangers of mass-producing meat and milk have only grown. Recent events in the Texas panhandle highlight the ongoing risks of a food system dominated by multinational corporations.
In March 2024, barn cats at dairy farms in the Texas panhandle began behaving strangely, walking in circles, becoming listless, losing balance, and dying within days. Veterinarian Dr Barb Petersen investigated a mysterious illness in dairy cattle, which showed fever, reduced milk production, and weight loss. Tests for known cattle diseases came back negative.
Petersen sent dead barn cats for analysis, revealing they had highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1). The cats were infected after drinking raw milk from sick cows. This was the first known case of cows contracting bird flu, with the virus propagating in their udders and spreading via milk. H5N1 had previously devastated US poultry farms, killing over 150 million chickens since 2022.
Despite the discovery, no mandatory testing of cows or milk, quarantine of affected dairies, or widespread testing of dairy workers was implemented. The US Department of Agriculture focuses on livestock health, the Food and Drug Administration lacks authority to test livestock, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cannot test farm animals or workers without owner permission. Texas agriculture commissioner Sid Miller, a QAnon supporter, dismissed the threat, and the dairy industry opposed testing.
Schlosser argues that the industrialisation of livestock and lack of oversight create vectors for dangerous pathogens. Some US mega-dairies house up to 100,000 cows, and the real price of cheap food—including public health risks—remains hidden. The 2024 H5N1 outbreak underscores that the warnings of Fast Food Nation are as urgent as ever.
