Published Letters and Op-Eds from
COK’s Writers Group

Veggie Burgers Are Safest

Washington Post Express
March 5, 2008

Your piece on non-beef burgers ("Burger, But Hold the Beef," March 4) was flawed on several levels. I can't speak for safety of buffalo burgers, but I imagine that if bison become as mass produced and slaughtered as cows are today, they could fall victim to some of the same illnesses that have crept into the beef supply. Chickens and turkeys may not fall victim to spongiform encephalopathies, but they do get contaminated with campylobacter and salmonella, not to mention the bird flu virus, which has already claimed human lives. Tuna and other fish are often contaminated with mercury, and pregnant women are encouraged to watch their consumption of such fish.

The safest burger one can eat is one of the many varieties of veggie burgers that exist. In addition, veggie burgers do have one thing animal-based burgers don't: fiber.

Danielle Kichler, Washington, D.C.