For this post, I stole (with permission!) a good friend’s English argumentative paper on antibiotic use in livestock. My friend, Kerstin, did an awesome job clearly stating the facts and educating the reader about what antibiotics are really used for in agriculture.
Antibiotics: A Form of Medicine, Not a Marketing Ploy
In today’s society, social media controls almost everything in our lives; but why? For instance, social media controls what topics are controversial, and then companies use these hot topics as marketing ploys. This occurred to me when I saw a new commercial and then a tweet for Subway advertising their antibiotic-free chicken sandwich, which was very interesting to me as an animal science student. I saw that this was just a marketing ploy to comply with social media and the set of norms it has conveyed. The problem with this situation is that all meat, no matter the species, is antibiotic-free when it reaches the consumer. Social media and now large food chains are using similar statements as a marketing ploy because of the debate about antibiotics causing resistant bacteria. It is easy to get swept away and believe everything you see on social media, but it is also important to make sure you are hearing both sides of the story.
Currently, the general population is three generations removed from the farm, according to the National Institute of Animal Agriculture. This causes a big disconnect between consumers and producers. This disconnection can make it easier for the consumer to believe what they are hearing and seeing on social media, television, or marketing from large food chains because they truly don’t know what is taking place on farms. While food animal production is not for everyone, most everyone is a consumer of a product from food animal production and has the right to know what is going on. I personally was not raised on a farm, but both of my parents were brought up on farms and my grandparents still own livestock, so I have been exposed to agriculture my whole life. However, it wasn’t until I came to college that I truly started to understand what goes on at farms, so I understand how easy it can be to believe what is seen on a daily basis through the use of social media. I respect that everyone has their own opinion and is free to make their own choices, however I do believe it is important that you become educated so that you can back up your decisions.
A couple of things I think all consumers, even those that are producers themselves, have in common is that we want to see animals with the best welfare that can be provided, and we want to make healthy decisions so we can live the life we all wish to. Both of these are extremely important to us and the suppliers of our food. If we feel sick or concerned with our health, we go to a doctor and see if it is something that can be treated. That is no different than what goes on in food animal production. Often times if we suspect that an animal is coming down with a common sickness, we will call the vet to see if they can diagnose the problem. The main concern is animal welfare, just like we as humans have a main concern for our own welfare.
I would like to go in depth and explain why most of the myths you see on social media aren’t true or don’t provide the whole truth. Almost a year ago, Subway announced that they would become antibiotic-free and have now advertised an antibiotic-free chicken sandwich. This statement is not exactly false; all meat, no matter the species, is antibiotic-free when it enters the food supply. However, this is statement can be misleading. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, there are regulations in place to make sure the company is correctly backing these statements up. All meat, no matter if it is deemed raised antibiotic-free or not, is antibiotic-free when entering the food supply. The USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have worked very hard to make sure that the withdrawal period is correct for every antibiotic used by food animal producers. According to the FDA, the definition for a withdrawal period is the amount of time it takes to get the antibiotic completely out of the system after the last dosage is given. This prevents any residue being left over in the tissue of the animal. As part of USDA regulations, carcasses at slaughterhouses may be tested at random for antibiotic residues. If the tested carcass comes back positive for antibiotic residue, then the carcass is taken out of the food supply and is traced back to where it came from so further actions can be taken.
The next common myth that floats around is that a large majority of antibiotics are used in healthy animals and is the reason that resistant bacteria are a problem in humans. This claim is not true for several reasons. One reason is that according to the Animal Health Institute (AHI), about 87% of antibiotics used in food animal production in 2007 were used for therapeutic purposes. The term therapeutic use is meaning that the antibiotic was used to treat the animal for sickness, to prevent and/or stop disease, and to control the outbreak of sickness or disease. Another reason is that the USDA and FDA have regulations in place to prevent the misuse of antibiotics. According to the FDA, one example of these regulations is that, in order for the veterinarian to prescribe a medicine that will be administered to all the livestock in the herd to prevent or control disease and sickness, a Veterinarian-Patient-Client-Relationship (VPCR) has been established. A VPCR is a relationship where the veterinarian knows the client/patient well enough to know how they operate their herd, such as how clean the facility is that they are being raised in. This kind of relationship will be kept on record and will prevent the producer from incorrectly using antibiotics. This is no different than the doctor keeping a file with your history or even knowing your history on a personal basis.
The last common assumption is that the use of antibiotics in food animal production is the sole reason for resistant bacteria in humans. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), resistant bacteria are bacteria that have the ability to resist the effect of the drug. This causes a problem because then these bacteria are not being killed by the drug and instead are reproducing at a greater rate. This can cause what we refer to as mega-bugs, or bugs that are harder to kill and in turn will make us very sick. The FDA has proven that around 35% of the antibiotics used to treat food animals are not the same compounds used to treat humans, therefore they can’t be contributing to the issue of resistant bacteria. When farmers or ranchers are concerned about the health of their animals, they consult their local vet to see if treatment is needed. This is no different then when a child or adult gets sick and we consult with our local doctors to see if we need to be treated. Again, it comes back to having that VPCR on file to help both the veterinarian and producer to make the right decision for treatment.
Becoming educated on a controversial topic will help you decide what is right for your life and family. For me, I know what happens in food animal production, so I can pick what to believe and what not to believe, within reason. One thing that is important to keep in mind is that the use of antibiotics should not be a marketing ploy, but instead a tool of measurement for the welfare of an animal. It is time that we stop listening to the media about the use of antibiotics in livestock, and we decide that the use of antibiotics is for our own good and the good of the animal. The more knowledgeable about antibiotic use you are, the more comfortable you will feel defending your choice to others who may not know as much about the topic.
I agree 120% with all that Kerstin stated in her article. Awareness of antibiotic use in livestock needs to be more wide-spread. It is not the producer’s intention to harm the public, but instead to give their animals the best possible quality of life while under their care. There are programs such as Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) and Pork Quality Assurance (PQA). I am personally BQA certified in Kansas and am about to start the process of becoming certified in Virginia. BQA and PQA are courses producers can take to learn or refresh their memory on medication administration, proper handling, and current trends. If you have questions about antibiotic use, PLEASE feel free to ask myself or any other producer so that you can be educated about the topic and know the truth.
Rachel Waggie 