Meat and antimicrobial resistance

The present overuse of antibiotics in factory farming represents a serious threat to human health

21 March 2011

According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency up to 80 percent of all factory farmed animals are receiving antibiotics to promote growth and prevent or minimize diseases.

Such dangerous abuse of drugs is nurturing antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria like salmonella, campylobacter, and E.coli in animal products, which in turn are then threatening human health when the animals are eaten.

So each meat-meal may very well include ingredients nobody wants: building blocks for antimicrobial resistance

Source: WHO: Mobilizing political will to contain antimicrobial resistance
Author: EVANA

Link: 80 Percent of Antibiotics in the U.S. Go to Farm Animals
Link: Antibiotic Resistant Disease
Link: New standards aimed at pathogen reduction in poultry
Link: Scientists Combat Meat Industry’s Dismissal of Antibiotic Resistance
Link: Shockingly Simple: 2008 study finds bacteria in Baton Rouge meat


Other EVANA-articles about this topic:
Meat - BSE - Superbug (en)

Nationwide study finds U.S. meat and poultry is widely contaminated (en)

EU: MEP calls for tougher controls on animal antibiotics ()

Complacency kills. Antibiotic resistance still on the rise in Europe (en)

EFSA: The Community Summary Report on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and indicator bacteria from animals and food (en)

EU: Commission paper lays foundations of discussion to tackle the problem of anti-microbial resistance (en)

Antibiotics and Meat (en)