Does Emu Oil 'support your passion for wellness to change the world'?
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FROM Karen Davis, UPC United Poultry Concerns
April 2021

If we want our own bodies to be respected, let’s practice respect (not “respect”) for animals' bodies as well.

Emu Bluie
Jan Whalen and Bluie the Emu in Everett, Washington

“As amazing as it may sound, many people wonder whether an emu must be killed to get emu oil.” — UPC Supporter

Emu oil is obtained by slaughtering an emu. There is no other way to get this oil which is touted by emu exploiters as a virtual cure-all for whatever ails you (except as a balm for the sin-sick soul which wearing this oil can only make sicker). Put a glow on your face by smearing slaughtered emu oil on your nose, lips, and cheeks. Soothe and smooth your body with it. Just make sure before purchasing those dainty bottles and tubes of this wondrous “wellness” ointment that it is “sustainably, ethically sourced.”

What does this mean? It means commercial assurance that the emus are/were “free-range” and "humanely" killed. Oh, and "treated with respect and affection." Most importantly, it means assurance that the emu was not slaughtered only for his or her oil, processed from the thick layer of fat beneath the bird’s skin, a reserve for hard times in the emu’s native Australia where this fleet-footed, flightless, and gentle nomad evolved 90 million years ago.

“Sustainably, ethically sourced,” means turning 95 percent of the dead bird into marketable products: “The emu's skin can be used to make leather for clothing and accessories; the meat, which is lean but high in omega-3 fatty acids, is a popular protein; there are potential uses for emu feathers; and the bird's giant black eggs are carved and painted to create unique pieces of art.”

On March 29, 2021, UPC posted the following letter to a wellness/mindfulness business at www.mindbodygreen.com that in 2019 featured an article boasting the health and beauty benefits of emu oil. We encourage you to contact [email protected] and politely urge refraining from promoting slaughtered animal parts as health and beauty aids. When you encounter promotions of emu oil or other slaughter products, please educate and advocate for the birds. If we want our own bodies to be respected, let’s practice respect (not “respect”) for theirs as well.

Thank you.


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