In the realm of food safety, some very disturbing news has emerged this week. As reported by The Guardian, an investigation has revealed that the meat suppliers to super popular food chains such as McDonald's and Taco Bell, as well as to supermarkets such as Walmart, are using certain antibiotics that pose a grave risk to public health and safety.
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‘Reckless overuse of antibiotics’ by meat suppliers
The disturbing revelation came about during the course of an investigation by Bureau of Investigative Journalism and The Guardian. They recovered unpublished US government records showing that meat packing firms Cargill, JBS, and Green Bay are using antibiotics categorised as ‘highest priority critically important’ to human health (HP-CIAs).
The problem with using HP-CIAs in food is that since they of critical importance for human ailments and infections, being exposed to them routinely via meat could lead humans to be immune to the effects of these antibiotics, thereby making these life-saving drugs ineffective and leaving humans without any alternative drugs.
The dangers of antibiotics resistance
Cory Booker, a US senator advocating for antibiotics regulation in food is quoted by the report as saying,
The reckless overuse of medically important antibiotics on factory farms is a major contributor to this deadly public health threat.
Giant agribusinesses have built a system that is dependent on this misuse of antibiotics to maximise their profits, with no regard to the serious harm they are causing.
As per the article, antibiotics resistance is a global threat today and such practices by the meat industry are in a way contributing to accelerating the death toll due to this.
There are yet to be concerted industry-wide efforts to tackle this problem, even on the end of giant food corporations such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s or Taco Bell, who can definitely have an impact on the meat industry due to the sheer volume of demand they entail in the meat market.
Sources used:
The Guardian: ‘McDonald’s and Walmart beef suppliers criticised for ‘reckless’ antibiotics use’
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