>These bacteria are finding ways to get around antibiotics in animals<p>>"We've actually run out of antibiotics that really keep animals healthy," Price said. "We're finding strains of bacteria in animals that are resistant to so many antibiotics."<p>How about this novel solution: stop raising animals in a way that requires them to guzzle down tons of antibiotics in order to survive.<p>I love how this article fails to even mention the <i>possibility</i> that livestock animals do not need to ALWAYS BE SICK. Preposterous.
This is the only thing where I fully support the policy of the Green parties worldwide.<p>Overusing antibiotics and other medicine, just to be able to grow up more animals in the same space, is plain greed and animal cruelty.<p>The state should set a fixed minimum for meat prices (under which no product may be sold) and at the same time impose minimum levels of animal rights (roaming space, food variety, no declawing/tail cutting etc.). I know many will shoot me for advocating state regulation, but the free market most obviously has FAILED here.
Lance Price is quoted in this article.<p>Here is his testimony before the
House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Health. It's a pretty short read.<p><a href="http://democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Testimony-Price-Health-ADUFA-AGDUFA-2013-4-9.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/sites/default/file...</a>
If you've ever had grass fed beef as opposed to the stuff you normally find in the grocery store, you know that the meat is much tastier, and much better for you. For example, grass fed beef is a good source of omega 3s.<p>The problem with most livestock in the US is that it is raised on corn, which is not a nutritious food for them (<a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_shouldn%27t_cows_eat_corn" rel="nofollow">http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_shouldn%27t_cows_eat_corn</a>).<p>However, it does fatten them up. So, while they are fed this unhealthy diet, they are also fed antibiotics to keep them alive long enough to be sold.<p>You are what you eat. If you want better food and humanely raised livestock, then educate yourself and stop buying the cheap stuff.<p>The USDA regulates antibiotics for animals, while the FDA regulates them for humans. The USDAs job is to promote agriculture, and they do not appear to be as concerned about the kinds of side effects that the FDA is. Two very different missions.<p>It's too bad irradiating food has such negative connotations, as it would be safer than the current approach.
Original source data:<p><a href="http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/AntimicrobialResistance/NationalAntimicrobialResistanceMonitoringSystem/UCM334834.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/A...</a>