By Catherine J. Frompovich
On June 2, 2011, The New York Times posted an online editorial that caught my eye, “The High Cost of Cheap Meat,” in which small doses of antibiotics in animal feed were discussed as the probable cause of the growing concern over an ineffectiveness in eliminating bacterial ‘super bugs’ that are overwhelming our immune systems and the practice of medicine. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/03/opinion/03fri3.html
However, this ‘gem’ really sums up the issue: Last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council, joined by other advocacy groups, sued the Food and Drug Administration to compel it to end the nontherapeutic use of penicillin and tetracycline in farm animals. I must admit that was music to my ears. I’ve been promoting that ever since I learned of that practice while studying nutrition many more years ago than I’d like to admit.
The other remarkable piece of information that The NY Times editorial divulged is:
For years, the F.D.A. has had the scientific studies and the authority to ban these drugs. But it has always bowed to pressure from the pharmaceutical and farm lobbies, despite the well-founded objections of groups like the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization, which support an antibiotic ban. [My emphasis added]
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