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FDA Finally Acknowledges Antibiotic Danger in Meat Supply

Written by Wellness Club on July 13, 2010 – 3:11 pm -

FDA Finally Acknowledges Antibiotic Danger in Meat Supply

 

By Dr. Dana Myatt

 

The dangers of antibiotics in the U.S. meat supply is well documented. In fact, dangers of antibiotics in meat were acknowledged and reported by the USDA and the FDA as early as 1969.(1) On June 29th, 2010, the FDA finally acknowledged the great danger posed by antibiotics in meat. But don’t get too excited, because wait ’till you see their proposed “cure”!

Antibiotics are fed to meat animals not only to treat disease, but because they cause animals to eat more and to gain weight faster. The practice of giving animals antibiotics to fatten them is well-known and widely practiced in the beef and poultry industries.

Bacteria are slippery little things. When exposed to antibiotics, they mutate and often become more dangerous in the process. We call these drug-resistant bacteria “Super Bugs.”

Today, we are seeing multiple strains of drug-resistant bacteria that infect humans. Some are so horrible that they do not respond to ANY known antibiotics.

Where are these killer bacteria coming from? Part of the problem is overuse and misuse of antibiotics to treat human conditions, like a doctor prescribing an antibiotic for a viral infection. (Hint: it’s not because an antibiotic will help you with a virus. Antibiotics only kill bacteria. It’s because YOU think you need an antibiotic and the doctor prescribes them as placebos — “to please” — the patient.) Always ask you doctor if you really NEED an antibiotic and if he/she says “no,” take a pass.

But medical antibiotics are only a small part of the “Super Bug” problem. The biggest threat are mutations created by feeding tons of antibiotics to our meat animals.

The FDA released a statement on June 29th, 2010, stating that “giving animals antibiotics in order to increase food production is a threat to public health and should be stopped.”

Although the agency also acknowledged that they have the power to ban the practice of non-medical use of antibiotics in meat animals, they have declined to do so for over 40 years. And they still are not going to ban the practice in spite of their admission of the dangers.

Instead, they are going to “let the industry regulate itself.” Right – Let’s ask the fox to guard the hen-house.

Instead of holding your breath waiting for the FDA to actually do something useful to protect you/us from dangerous drugs in our food supply, I recommend that you take pro-active measures.

Buy organic beef and chicken. Also consider buying local, grass-fed beef from a rancher. We’ll be going “half-sies” with a neighbor in the fall on a grass-fed cow, to be butchered locally. This not only avoids the antibiotics, but also the hormones. (Hormones in meat are another danger of conventional meat; a topic for another time).

Don’t wait for your friends at the FDA to protect you. They are more concerned about protecting their friends and financiers at Big Pharma than they are with public safety.

Nurse Mark Comment:

Finding a source of meats that is hormone and antibiotic free is challenging. Dr. Myatt is currently reviewing some providers of free-range, grass-fed beef and other meats and will be able to make a recommendation soon. Meanwhile, please feel free to follow the link on the right side of this page which will take you to Vital Choice seafoods. Dr. Myatt has carefully reviewed this company and their practices and can recommend them with confidence.

References:

1.) The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine. June 28, 2010.
2.) Docket No. FDA-2010-D-0094,  CVM 201012.  Draft Guidance: The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals; Availability.  Pages  37450-37451 [FR Doc. 2010-15289] .

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