×
You have no more free articles available this month. Subscribe today.
Soy-Based Meals: Cruel & Usual in Florida
Soy-Based Meals: Cruel & Usual in Florida
"Excessive soy can be toxic to the thyroid gland," according to Sally Fallon Morell, president and treasurer of the Weston A. Price Foundation. "It can have hormonal effects." Of course, the excessive flatulence and cramping are a lot of fun, too.
Florida prison officials don't care. Since 2009, prisoners there have been served a delightful 50 percent soy, 50 percent poultry blend at every meal. At just .570 per meal ($1.70 per day), soy is half the price of beef and pork, according to the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC).
Lake Correctional Institution prisoner Eric D. Harris, 34, has had enough. In early November 2011, he sued the FDOC in a Tallahassee state court, alleging that the soy-based meals constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Harris claims that eating 100 grams of soy protein each day is a health threat, because it jeopardizes his thyroid and immune system. According to the suit, his only other option is to eat a vegan diet or junk food from the prison commissary.
Weston – a nonprofit group advocating a diet of whole, largely unprocessed food high in saturated fats – is publicizing Harris's suit on their website. We will report on any significant developments in the case.
Sources: The Orlando Sentinel; New York Times News Service
"Excessive soy can be toxic to the thyroid gland," according to Sally Fallon Morell, president and treasurer of the Weston A. Price Foundation. "It can have hormonal effects." Of course, the excessive flatulence and cramping are a lot of fun, too.
Florida prison officials don't care. Since 2009, prisoners there have been served a delightful 50 percent soy, 50 percent poultry blend at every meal. At just .570 per meal ($1.70 per day), soy is half the price of beef and pork, according to the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC).
Lake Correctional Institution prisoner Eric D. Harris, 34, has had enough. In early November 2011, he sued the FDOC in a Tallahassee state court, alleging that the soy-based meals constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Harris claims that eating 100 grams of soy protein each day is a health threat, because it jeopardizes his thyroid and immune system. According to the suit, his only other option is to eat a vegan diet or junk food from the prison commissary.
Weston – a nonprofit group advocating a diet of whole, largely unprocessed food high in saturated fats – is publicizing Harris's suit on their website. We will report on any significant developments in the case.
Sources: The Orlando Sentinel; New York Times News Service
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login