It’s hard to imagine our government would knowingly allow anything to be administered to food producing animal feed that possibly could create a spread of antibiotic-resistant “super germs”, spreading disease and illness for the benefit of fattening the pockets of manufacturers, isn’t it? But think again. The FDA, who monitors the food production process, has decided to “un-ring” its own bell in a recent quietly led decision now allowing antibiotics to be administered to livestock.
According to a recent posting on the website of Dr. Mercola, a well known expert on health and wellness, the FDA have made the following decision withdrawing a critical 1977 decision that once protected Americans against the spread of disease through food producing animals:
“According to the Federal Register, dated December 22, 2011:
"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) is withdrawing two 1977 notices of opportunity for a hearing (NOOH), which proposed to withdraw certain approved uses of penicillin and tetracycline’s intended for use in feeds for food-producing animals based in part on microbial food safety concerns."
For those of us who trying to navigate past the jargon while getting to the heart of the matter, here it is in one nut shell: Antibiotics help “fatten” our animals and spread super-germs more than they protect our health. The spread of E-coli is a clear example of how this happens. Once an animal becomes “resistant” to an antibiotic, then their body carries disease coming full circle back to us.
Once the FDA allows antibiotics to be used, even against their own previous ruling(s), “super-germs” are easily spread amongst livestock. A super-germ is a highly resistant germ that easily resists antibiotics. As long as farmers are allowed to raise livestock according to the FDA’s approval methods the “checks-and-balance” system goes by the wayside.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs:
"Continuous, low-dose administration of an antibiotic can increase the rate and efficiency of weight gain in healthy livestock. The presence of antibiotics likely changes the composition of the gut flora to favor growth. Debate is ongoing as to how gut flora are changed; change may simply be a reduction in numbers, a change in species composition or a combination of the two.… Some antibiotics may also enhance feed consumption and growth by stimulating metabolic processes within the animal." (http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/animalcare/amr/facts/05-041.htm#2)
Evidently, the FDA agrees with this finding, acknowledging it within a 2010 draft guidance proposing livestock producers to stop using “sub-therapeutic” small doses of antibiotics in animal Feed. In their own words, the FDA said:
"Antimicrobial drugs have been widely used in human and veterinary medicine for more than 50 years … The development of resistance to this important class of drugs, and the resulting loss of their effectiveness as antimicrobial therapies, poses a serious public health threat.
Misuse and overuse of antimicrobial drugs creates selective evolutionary pressure that enables antimicrobial resistant bacteria to increase in numbers more rapidly than antimicrobial susceptible bacteria and thus increases the opportunity for individuals to become infected by resistant bacteria. Because antimicrobial drug use contributes to the emergence of drug resistant organisms, these important drugs must be used judiciously in both animal and human medicine to slow the development of resistance."
So what does this mean to you and me? Simply this: Eat organic meat. Sounds like a “pricey” proposition, doesn’t it? Well…..it is. But unless you plan to become a vegan (which isn’t a bad idea) then we can’t trust what the FDA is allowing to be administered to our livestock.
Stay tuned to hear more about “how” antibiotics are administered “under the radar” to livestock using FDA approved methods.
Quick Tips for Wellness: If you’re a meat eater, eat organic meat!
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