Organics: foods produced without antibiotics

Choosing foods bearing the organic label is the only way consumers can be sure meats and dairy products they buy have been produced without the use of antibiotics, according to OTA in response to a CBS Evening News with Katie Couric segment on livestock production airing Febuary 9 and 10. “Organic practices recognize and respect the powerful nature of antibiotics. As a result, organic practices prohibit the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones or other animal drugs in animal feed for the purpose of stimulating the growth or production of livestock,” said Christine Bushway, OTA’s executive director. Respected organizations such as the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization have recommended against the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in agriculture in order to protect public health. Those organizations point out that such uses of antibiotics in agriculture contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
 

Most recently, the June 2009 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives included a focus article entitled “The Landscape of Antibiotic Resistance,” which referenced research showing that the practice of using antibiotics at sub-therapeutic levels in livestock feed and water has led to the persistence of these antibiotics in the environment and the possibility of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Up to 70 % of all antibiotics produced in the United States are used for non-therapeutic purposes in industrial food animal production, according to The Union of Concerned Scientists, which defines non-therapeutic as the use of antibiotics in the absence of diagnosed disease. Food animals on industrial farms often are routinely fed antibiotics in food and water to promote weight gain and feed efficiency, and to compensate for overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. This is not allowed in organic agriculture. “Organic producers are required by the organic standards to provide living conditions and health care practices that help prevent illness and to promote health of the animals,” Ms Bushway added.

OTA