Catastrophic Antibiotic Threat from Food

Antibiotics are used to ensure better health and survival of animals bred for food, but they are also believed by many farmers to promote growth. Credit: IPSBy Jomo Kwame Sundaram and Tan Zhai GenKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Apr 4 2017 (IPS)The greatly excessive use of antibiotics in food production in recent decades has made many bacteria more resistant to antibiotics. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has estimated that antibiotic use in animal husbandry, poultry farming and aquaculture in the US is over four times USDA recommended levels. Meanwhile, the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has estimated that 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the USA are used on animals. Cheap antibiotics prone to abuse Antibiotics are used to ensure better health and survival of animals bred for food, but they are also believed by many farmers to promote growth. As prices of antibiotics remain attractively low, they offer the prospect of higher earnings from greater output at low cost. Hence, there is little or no market incentive to reduce excessive, if not indiscriminate use, and hence abuse of antibiotics. Thus, such efforts to increase farmer incomes and profitability exacerbate the likelihood and risk of antibiotic resistance.The widespread use of antibiotics through food chains is thus becoming catastrophic. A review by the FAO explains how antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals are infecting humans, through direct contact with animals or indirect transmission thr...

Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - April 4, 2017 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Jomo Kwame Sundaram and Tan Zhai Gen Tags: Development & Aid Economy & Trade Environment Featured Food & Agriculture Global Headlines Health Poverty & SDGs Source Type: news