Ask Food Companies: "What's In The Beef?"
In February, I sent a letter to over 60 fast food companies, producers, processors, and grocery chains asking them to disclose their policies on antibiotic use in meat and poultry production. Now I've launched a petition for you to ask the same question.
In 2011, the US had the most outbreaks ever of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella due to contaminated meat and poultry. The practice of routinely feeding antibiotics to chickens, cows, and swine has been shown to contribute to these type of diseases that do not respond to antibiotics.
In short, the US is facing a growing public health crisis in the form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and information about how our biggest food producers handle their livestock is vital to reducing the growing threat.
The petition requests the percentages of beef, pork and poultry that are raised:
- "Without any antibiotics,"
- Raised with antibiotics only for "therapeutic reasons," or
- Raised with "routine use of antibiotics."
In 2010, the Food and Drug Administration released data revealing that in the United States 80 percent of all antibiotics are used in food-animals, not humans. Since then, and in conjunction with a rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the practice of routinely feeding antibiotics to animals has come under scrutiny.
In December 2011, I hosted a briefing titled "Keeping Antibiotics Working" where farmers and successful businesses extolled the benefits of tapping into the growing domestic and international demand for antibiotic-free meat. The group urged congressional action to preserve antibiotics for the treatment of human diseases, an issue I have been working on for years.
Since 2007, I have been the author of legislation titled The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), designed to ensure that we preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for the treatment of human disease. The legislation would prevent agricultural overuse of seven classes of antibiotics important for human health.
For a copy of the letter, click here.
To sign the citizen petition, click here.
Very simply, consumers have a right to know what's in their food. It's like that old commercial, 'where's the beef?' We just want to know, 'what's in the beef?'