As antibiotic-resistant bacteria become dramatically more prevalent in the meat industry in the United States, scientists researching public health are hindered by the lack of solid data available about the use of antibiotics on farmed animals. The New York Times reports, “Eighty percent of the antibiotics sold in the United States goes to chicken, pigs, cows and other animals that people eat, yet producers of meat and poultry are not required to report how they use the drugs — which ones, on what types of animal, and in what quantities.”
Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are all involved in agricultural drug regulation, responsibility is diluted and regulation is difficult. In addition, although the FDA has authority to access the records of food producers, it cannot collect or publish the data.
Instead of directly monitoring antibiotic usage on the farms, regulators are forced to look for drug residue on pieces of meat from slaughterhouses, which results in unreliable studies due to small sample sizes.
Earlier this summer, ABC News reported that antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli found on chicken and turkey are linked to a troubling rise in the occurrence of “painful and long-lasting bladder infections” that are increasingly difficult to treat with antibiotics.
Thankfully, an easy and effective way to safeguard your own health and prevent the needless suffering of animals is to choose plant-based alternatives to disease-infested meat, dairy, and eggs.
For information and tips on protecting your health and helping animals by adopting a plant-based lifestyle, visit ChooseVeg.com.
