MRS J Kay concludes her letter about factory farming by saying that we should "take the trouble to find out how and where our meat has been produced and how and where it is slaughtered. Only then can we eat with a clear conscience." (May 20).

A conscience which is so easily satisfied isn't much of a conscience.

Even if organic meat is a lesser evil than non-organic meat, a lesser evil is still an evil and unless you stop eating animals you will always have "blood on your hands".

Meat is not necessary for human health. The British Medical Association states vegetarians have lower rates of cancer, stroke and heart disease. Even allowing for all other variables, vegetarians live significantly longer.

The only reason for eating animals and fish is that we wish to indulge our palates. This is a shabby excuse for taking a life.

If we want to "eat with a clear conscience", the only option is to become vegetarian.

This is an easy step to take. Eating vegetarian pizzas, burgers, pies, lasagne, quiche, quorn chicken (exactly like the real thing), curries, soups, and jacket potatoes, isn't exactly hardship.

Given that we have just had National Vegetarian Week now could not be a better time to make the change to a lifestyle which is both healthy and compassionate.

Adam Hall,

York University,

Heslington,

York.

Updated: 10:40 Thursday, June 02, 2005