Antibiotics and Meat

Is it possible to find meat and eggs that are not from animals pumped with antibiotics? Yes and grocery stores are leading the charge.

You have to read the labels. Look for “raised without antibiotics” or “no antibiotics administered” or “USDA certified organic” or even “grass-fed” or “raised on pasture” or “cage-free.” These labels can be found at all Encino groceries now - Trader Joes, Ralphs, Gelsons and nearby Whole Foods. The USDA permits these claims but they are essentially unverifiable. But the claim “antibiotic free” is not permitted (it would be untrue) and the world “natural” is not be trusted.

The FDA is moving toward regulatory action that would curb the use of antibiotics in livestock. After all, most antibiotics are used to make animals gain weight faster, not to cure them once they get sick.The USDA too is taking a more agressive stance - expanding testing for E. coli, especially in pork.

The reason for concern is the rise of drug-resistant pathogens. This is not about antibiotics being passed on to us in our food - they have passed through the animals’ bodies. It’s about a wider environment where superbugs flourish, putting humans at risk.

Agribusiness will fight the FDA by arguing that animals raised without antibiotics carry more pathogens. This is likely true but public awareness is growing and supermarkets are paying attention. Those who complain about the FDA moving too slowly are as unhelpful as agribusiness. In fact the FDA is recommending that farmers be required to get prescriptions from vets before administering antibiotics to individual animals. I could write about growth hormones and unsavory factory farm conditions, but I’ll save that for another time.

What really surprises me is, why are so many PEOPLE still consuming antibiotics so freely and, worse, why do some physicians prescribe antibiotics for viruses? Why is there not more public suspicion about these drugs? I’m not saying we should avoid antibiotics, but I do think usage should be as infrequent as possible, especially for infants and small children where the most abuse occurs.