Clark Wolf is the host and organizer. The panel—on food and politics—includes me, talking about my memoir, Slow Cooked, An Unexpected Life in Food Politics; Chloe Sorvino, author of Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat; Alex Prud’homme, author of Dinner With The President: Food, Politics and the History of Breaking Bread at the White House; and Tanya Holland, author of Tanya Holland’s California Soul. Free, but register here. It starts at 5:00 p.m. and lasts one hour.
by Marion Nestle
May
10
2017
Will we ever stop misusing animal antibiotics?
Politico ProAg reports that the International Poultry Council will soon issue a statement advising the poultry industry to:
- Stop using antibiotics critical to human medicine to promote livestock growth and prevent disease,
- Only use these drugs when prescribed by a veterinarian for treatment of disease,
- Be transparent about the amount of antibiotics it uses and why.
The poultry industry routinely uses antibiotics in feed and water despite major efforts to stop this practice.
Government agencies concerned about increasing resistance to animal antibiotics have long wanted their use stopped or managed appropriately.
- The FDA’s policy is to do what the IPC is now advising.
- The CDC has long complained that widespread misuse of antibiotics promotes the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
- The Union of Concerned Scientists has an excellent background paper on the topic.
- Consumers Union also has an excellent position paper.
Trying to stop misuse of animal antibiotics has a long history.
The animal agriculture industry has fought all attempts to curtain antibiotic use.
The word has gotten through to the poultry industry. Let’s hope this works.