Why do we feed animals antibiotics?

Dr. Hurnik: “Antibiotics, or more specifically antimicrobial drugs, are prescription medications used to treat bacterial diseases in animals and people. If animals have a bacterial infection one of the ways to treat them is to mix it with their food to ensure it is consumed with minimal handling or stress. A licensed veterinarian may prescribe antimicrobial medications if needed for the health and welfare of the animals under their care.”

 How do we ensure that there is no antibiotic residue in our food?

Dr. Hurnik: “Drugs that are approved for use in food animals have been assessed by Health Canada for safety to the food consuming public. Part of that approval is a determination of how much time needs to pass for the drugs to be sufficiently eliminated from the animal so that the resulting food products are suitable for human consumption.”

 What are withdrawal periods?

Dr. Hurnik: “The amount of time that needs to pass from when a drug is given to an animal until it has adequately eliminated that drug and is fit for human consumption is called the withdrawal time.”

 How are withdrawal periods determined? What testing goes into ensuring safe food?

 Dr. Hurnik: “The withdrawal times are approved by Health Canada to ensure any residues of drugs in food products are below levels deemed to be safe for the consuming public.  Health Canada sets these maximum residue limits (MRLs) for drugs that are approved for use in food producing animals. At federally inspected meat processing establishments, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has a testing program to ensure there are no residues above the MRLs, if such residue is found during meat inspection, the meat is not approved for human consumption.”

What are the ways that the food system ensures withdrawal periods are enforced?

Dr. Hurnick: “Livestock producers are aware of withdrawal times because they are clearly written on the drug labels and on prescriptions provided by their veterinarian. Quality assurance programs provide training on the administration of medications to farm animals and they contain procedures that producers follow to make sure withdrawals times are respected when marketing their animals.”

Regulations in place, such as withdrawal periods from the time an animal is given an antibiotic until it is considered safe for consumption, help to enusre the safety of the food supply.

The post Canadian Rules for Antibiotic Use in Animals appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Functional Foods
People became less concerned about eliminating foods from their diets and focused on what they should add in 2016. These “functional foods” contribute health benefits to the diet. We looked at some of these claims for foods including sprouted grains, apple cider vinegar, probiotics, turmeric and omega 3.

Simple Ingredients
Food companies focused on using easy-to-understand ingredients in their products in 2016. Many of the changes were sparked by consumers who want more natural ingredients. Best Food Facts asked If I can’t pronounce an ingredient is it bad? and our experts answered.

Genetically Modified Foods
Advances continued to be made in 2016 with new genetically modified foods introduced. We learned about a genetically engineered apple that does not turn brown when sliced and even got to sample it. Other new foods are a specially developed salmon that grows at a quicker rate and a potato that resists bruising and browning.

Antibiotics
Several restaurants and retailers announced plans to source meat from animals that are not treated with antibiotics. The issue raised awareness of how important antibiotics are in human health and protecting the health of animals. We did a four-part video series on antibiotics, looking at the issues surrounding resistance, how to understand food labels and best practices in the kitchen when preparing meat.

Cauliflower is Everywhere
The humble cauliflower became the star of the show in 2016. It was roasted, riced, made into pizza crust, in mac and cheese – you name it, cauliflower did it this year. The advice from the experts at Best Food Facts is Eat Your Veggies, so any way to incorporate more healthy vegetables into daily meals is a welcome addition.

Meal Kit Delivery
This year, meal kit delivery became mainstream. Some big name companies were joined by local start-ups` in offering to deliver the ingredients to cook a meal at home. The service appeals to many because it combines convenience with the goodness of a home cooked meal. Best Food Facts provided some tips on monthly meal planning.

What do you think was the biggest trend of the year? Let us know by voting in the poll!

The post Food Trends of 2016 appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Antibiotics aren’t just vital for keeping people healthy – they also play a role in producing food. Dr. Keiji Fukuda, an American physician who serves as the World Health Organization’s Special Representative for Antimicrobial Resistance, said of the importance of having effective antibiotics for food animal production, “If we lose that ability [to treat animals when they are sick], we perhaps begin to lose the ability to have adequate food supplies in the world.”

To learn more about the issue, we went to Dr. John Prescott, professor emeritus in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario.

What are your thoughts on the United Nations choosing to address the antibiotic resistance issue?

Dr. Prescott: The issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has now generated unprecedented international interest, at the highest political levels nationally and internationally. AMR is regarded as a threat to humanity on a par with climate change. It’s reassuring and rewarding to see movement on this issue.

What is animal agriculture’s role in the issue of antibiotic resistance?

Dr. Prescott: How much is agriculture contributing to antibiotic resistance? No one really knows. There’s a finite contribution but it’s probably relatively selective, and perhaps rather hidden. It’s been a complex issue to sort out, but all the evidence points to some contribution. I hate to put numbers on it because it’s so complex but perhaps 4-to-8 percent overall.

What would be the consequences of overly-restricting antibiotic use in food animals?

Dr. Prescott: Depends on what you mean by overly-constricting. There are different types of antibiotics which are very important for animals but unimportant for people, such as the ionophores used to control coccidiosis, a disease in chickens that chiefly affects the intestines. Removal of ALL antibiotics would make intensive agriculture difficult and would considerably raise the price of animal protein. I don’t think the intention is to do this, just to use antibiotics where their benefits are clear and substantial and not associated with adverse resistance effects in humans.

What do you think is the biggest misconception among consumers on antibiotic use in agriculture?

Dr. Prescott: The biggest misconception is that agricultural use of antibiotics is responsible for most resistance in human bacterial pathogens. There is no evidence for this conception.

Is the food animal sector responding appropriately on the antibiotic resistance issue?  

Dr. Prescott: I think so, generally yes, they are very concerned, knowledgeable and able to act. It’s a work in progress, since they will respond to consumer demand and regulation. Government and regulation is playing catch up in North America, and this governance aspect is more chaotic and needs far more work.

The use of antibiotics, resistance and the impact on health and the food supply are important issues that will continue to be researched and analyzed.

The post What is agriculture’s role in the issue of antibiotic resistance? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Consumers have a lot of questions about how chickens are raised these days. Are chickens fed additional hormones? How about antibiotics? And what does the label farm-raised chickens really mean?

Best Food Facts checked in with experts Dr. Ken Macklin, with the Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University and Dr. Terry Etherton, with the Department of Dairy & Animal Science at Penn State University for answers.

Are hormones given to chickens raised for meat? If not, what is the difference between chicken labeled as hormone-free and chicken that does not carry that label?

Dr. Macklin:

No chickens raised in the U.S. or internationally, are given hormones. Feeding chickens additional hormones has been illegal in the U.S. since the 1950s, and it’s just not a cost-effective way to raise chickens. Why do some companies label chicken as hormone-free? Chickens have hormones like all living things, but there are no additional hormones labeled to any chickens, anywhere. There is no difference between chickens labeled as hormone-free and those that do not carry that label.

Dr. Etherton:

Hormones are not used in poultry production for broilers or egg layers. Every animal and plant that exists has natural hormones that they produce. The only difference between chicken labeled hormone-free and chicken not labeled as such is how the company chooses to market the product.  

What does the label farm-raised chicken mean? Aren’t all chickens raised on farms?

Dr. Etherton:

As far as I know it doesn’t have a specific definition. All chickens and animals raised for food production are raised on a farm of some sort, whether it’s large, small or in between.

Dr. Macklin:

They all are farm-raised. Some companies choose to market their products differently to appeal to their customer base. To be honest, every single chicken producer in the country could label their product as farm-raised in a literal sense.

Are farm-raised chickens raised with antibiotics?

Dr. Macklin:

The farm-raised chickens label really doesn’t differentiate, unless it says raised without antibiotics. They’ll all be antibiotic free because they went through a withdrawal period. The farm-raised label doesn’t mean they are raised without antibiotics.

Dr. Etherton:

There are some that are, but that is being phased out. Sub-therapeutic doses put in feed, primarily for broilers, to deal with sub-clinical health issues will be phased out.

Should I be concerned that eating chicken that was fed antibiotics might have antibiotic residue, or contribute to increased antibiotic resistance?

Dr. Etherton:

No, first, the dose is really, really small. Secondly, those antibiotics are typically not used in human health. Thirdly, if you just look at the population evidence, we’ve got people living longer than ever before and we’ve got the safest food supply in recorded history, and my view is that we shouldn’t be concerned.

Dr. Macklin:

Representatives from every flock are tested for antibiotic residue. That’s why they have the withdrawal period from seven to 14 days before the birds are processed, during which time the chickens are not given any antibiotics to make sure there is none in the meat. It’s a bit harder to say, whether antibiotic resistance is increasing. There are those that think livestock and poultry use of antibiotics contribute to antibiotic resistance, and there’s some compelling evidence that it may. On the flip side, there’s plenty of evidence to say that it doesn’t contribute to antibiotic resistance. As a scientist, I can’t say there is enough evidence to say that livestock and poultry use of antibiotics does or does not contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Will new regulations limiting the use of animal antibiotics important to human medicine affect how chickens are raised?

Dr. Macklin:

The new regulations will not affect companies with a veterinarian on staff at all. Even broiler companies that have a consulting vet shouldn’t see major disruptions because the new regulations require a veterinarian to write a prescription. It will reduce use of growth promotants, but it really won’t affect how chickens are raised. Chicken might cost a little more because they won’t grow as fast or as uniform, so production may not be as efficient.

Dr. Etherton:

Animals that periodically have sub-clinical health issues that affect growth rate can cause an economic problem. The industry will just have to deal with it. If, for example, feed efficiency worsens and it takes longer to grow animals to market weight, there will be an economic cost to consumers.

Will these new regulations mean chickens get sick more often?

Dr. Etherton:

I would expect that will be the case, but if it’s sub-clinical you might not see it, so it’s a fine gray line.

Dr. Macklin:

Yes, I know of a company that is completely antibiotic free, and they have a hard time combating illnesses. Veterinarians have a hard time not being able to treat animals when they get sick. Veterinarians take an oath to protect animal health and welfare, and they don’t like seeing these animals get sick. If the veterinarian works for a company producing antibiotic-free chicken, and they must treat a bird, it has to go to a different processing plant and is a logistical problem. If the chickens get sick more often, feed efficiency (amount of feed per lb. of gain) gets worse and the uniformity of the chicken suffers, it will be very challenging for producers.

Do I need to be concerned about eating chicken that might have been sick?

Dr. Macklin:

Assuming all safety procedures that are in place work properly, you will not be eating a sick chicken. There are a number of safeguards in place to prevent this. If the chickens are sick, they should not be sent from the farm to the processing plant. When the chickens get to the processing plant they are inspected by crews from the processing plant and USDA inspectors. While no process is 100 percent effective, I wouldn’t be too concerned about eating sick chicken, because there are a lot of safeguards in place. Also, you should inspect poultry you purchase at the grocery store and be sure to cook poultry to adequate temperatures. As long as you cook chicken properly it should be safe.

Dr. Etherton:

Animals that go into the food chain go through USDA-inspected plants, so there is a visual inspection of the carcass. With proper handling and cooking, food will be safe. For food safety, we have evolved the best system we’ve ever had, but even that system is not absent of risk.

Are there alternatives to antibiotics to keep chickens healthy?

Dr. Etherton:

I think best management practices and biosecurity methods, to attempt to keep out any pathogens, will be really important.

Dr. Macklin:

There are many alternatives. Pre-biotics feed the good bacteria and fight off the bad. Probiotics are your good bacteria, (similar to yogurt with the live cultures for humans) to fight off the bad bacteria. Then you have essential oils, organic acids and a whole slew of options producers can use to keep chickens healthy. The fault with many of them is they just are not as effective as antibiotics, which is why the poultry industry has used antibiotics for so long.

Is there a risk that the chicken I purchased from the grocery store may have been raised in the U.S., but processed in China?

Dr. Macklin:

There may be a risk but it is so miniscule, you shouldn’t worry about it. I would hazard a guess that 99.99 percent of chickens are raised and processed in the U.S. with 100 percent of chicken you find in the store being raised in the U.S. Also, any products shipped to the U.S. would have to meet our processing standards, meaning there are USDA inspectors on site watching the processors. The U.S. would not send live chickens – if anything, we would be sending carcasses to be further processed. Those steps are inspected by USDA, so steps are in place to make sure everything is up to our standards.

Dr. Etherton:

I’m not sure the economics would make sense to grow chickens in the U.S., ship them to China and have companies from China ship them back here, though traceability is a challenge in animal agriculture, so it’s hard to know definitively.

The post Farm-Raised Chickens: Answers on Antibiotics, Hormones and More appeared first on Best Food Facts.

“Antibiotics are medications that we used to actually treat ill animals,” Dr. Bender said. “It also could be used to prevent disease, so when we mix a group of animals together just like we mix children together at a daycare, there’s a chance for disease transmission to occur and sometimes those could be bacterial. And so treatment, prevention and control are really the main ways that we use antibiotics.”

He explained that antibiotics are given to animals by farmers or ranchers under the supervision of a veterinarian.

“Veterinarians are critical in working with the farmer if he needs to make decision about what dose, how frequently it needs to be given and then more importantly, working with a farmer about what we call the withdrawal period; the time from when you stop antibiotics to the time that the animal can actually go into the market system,” Dr. Bender. said.

Mechanisms are in place to test products such as meat and milk to make sure there are no antibiotics in food that is being eaten. Because of concerns about antibiotic resistance, in the United States, it is no longer allowed to use antibiotics for growth promotion.

“When using antibiotics there’s a potential for those organisms to change and adapt. So, we have to think more globally about antibiotic use. Do I really need to use an antibiotic? In  the same way, the veterinarian needs to work very closely with the farmer to say do we really need an antibiotic here? If it’s an animal welfare issue, you know the animal is ill, than antibiotics might be very necessary,” Dr. Bender said.

For those concerned about antibiotic use, Dr. Bender gave this advice. “The food that we have in our grocery stores is good. It is inspected, there are regulations in place to really eliminate the possibility that there were antibiotics in there. Products that you buy at the grocery store, you should feel comfortable in consuming.”

Farmers and veterinarians work together to treat, prevent and control diseases. Farmers work with veterinarians to determine proper dosages and frequency of use, as well as adequate withdrawal periods for antibiotics from the animal’s system prior to going to market. Processes are in place to make sure food is safe and free from antibiotic residue.

Check out our video series on antibiotic resistance:

What Causes Antibiotic Resistance? Part 1

Antibiotic Resistance and Navigating Food Labels Part 3

Antibiotic Resistance and Proper Kitchen Techniques. Part 4

The post Antibiotics and Use in Food Animals. Part 2 appeared first on Best Food Facts.

The discovery and use of antibiotics is one of the greatest human and veterinary medical advances in history. However, there is concern about bacteria that are resistant to one or more of the antibiotics used to treat infections.

To help us better understand antibiotic resistance, food blogger Alice Choi of HipFoodieMom went in search of answers from experts. In the first video, she visited with Dr. Pritish Tosh with the Infectious Diseases Division at the Mayo Clinic. He explained how antibiotics developed.

“Antibiotics are derivatives of natural compounds. They are derivatives of things that other organisms are already secreting and they’ve been doing this in terms of biowarfare between different organisms for millennia,” Dr.Tosh said. “Conversely, the antibiotic resistance that the bacteria have, have also existed in nature for a long time. And so, one antibiotic-resistant organism when it gets into your gut, I can share that piece of resistance with other bacteria there.”

Dr. Tosh also discussed how antibiotic resistance emerged, noting that when penicillin was first discovered, there was great excitement.

“Now we’re at a point where we are seeing bacterial infections that are resistant to all the antibiotics that we have. Now thankfully, these multidrug completely resistant bacterial infections are very rare. But we are seeing more of them and the concern is that the more antibiotics we use the more we’re going to see these highly resistant bacterial infections and it’s only going to grow unless we do something very decisive,” he said.

Resistance has emerged because of a combination of antibiotics used to treat people and used in agriculture, Dr. Tosh said. One thing people can do is to not use antibiotic hand soap.

“There’s a lot of pressure that physicians feel from their patients when they come in with a cold to get a prescription for antibiotics. And one major thing to do is not have that expectation and really trust your physician to have the mindset that if the physician says there’s not a need for antibiotics then it’s probably going to be okay,” he said.

Antibiotic resistance is something that has developed over time and overuse of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine has contributed to it. Patients can help by not expecting an antibiotic for every illness.

Other topics in the video series are:

Antibiotic Use in Food Animals

Navigating Food Labels

Proper Kitchen Techniques

For additional resources available Mayo Clinic visit Antibiotics: Misuse puts you and others at risk and Bacterial vs. viral infections: How do they differ?

_{The image “Antibiotics” by Michael Mortensen is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.}

The post What Causes Antibiotic Resistance? Part 1 appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Shrimp is America’s favorite seafood, regardless of how it’s prepared. In the United States, each American eats roughly four pounds of shrimp annually!

But is it safe?

A recent Consumer Reports study on farmed and wild, raw and cooked shrimp found that 60 percent of the raw shrimp sampled tested positive for bacteria. Should we be worried about eating shrimp? We asked expert Kevin Fitzsimmons, PhD, Professor, Extension Specialist and Research Scientist at the University of Arizona, for some insight into the safety of shrimp.

The Consumer Reports study found bacteria in 60 percent of the raw shrimp it sampled. Is this number troubling?

Dr. Fitzsimmons:

In some cases, yes, but in most cases, no. The majority of bacteria reported in the story were E. coli and Vibrio. Both of these bacteria are ubiquitous. E. coli is found on virtually all our food and surfaces where humans are present. And Vibrios are ubiquitous in marine environments. In fact, I would be more concerned if these bacteria were absent, as I would wonder what had killed them. The much more rare cases of Salmonella and MRSA were of greater concern. Although Consumer Reports clearly stated that we need to consider that 97 percent of fresh chicken has Salmonella and that We should handle and cook shrimp as carefully as we do chicken.

We should handle and cook shrimp as carefully as we do chicken.
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Should consumers be worried about the safety of shrimp?

Dr. Fitzsimmons:

Consumers shouldn’t be any more worried about shrimp than any other food stuff. But, of course, we should be aware of safety with any food and should handle it and cook it accordingly.

Best Food Facts: What can consumers do to make sure the shrimp they buy at stores is safe? Are there particular kinds of shrimp that are safer than others?

Dr. Fitzsimmons:

As the Consumer Reports study correctly mentions, buying responsibly-farmed or wild-caught shrimp (and other seafoods) is advisable. Look for products that have certifications or labels from any of the following:

• Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch – Best Choice or Good Alternatives approvals
• Marine Stewardship Council
• Aquaculture Stewardship Council
• Best Aquaculture Practices Certification
• Global GAP
• Naturland
• Whole Foods Guide

Who regulates shrimp, and are there acceptable levels of bacteria for shrimp?

Dr. Fitzsimmons:

There are many agencies, domestic and foreign, that regulate shrimp catch and farming. Regulations are often at odds, including in the U.S., where state and federal regulations sometimes conflict. There are no regulations on acceptable levels of bacteria for shrimp, or most other foods. Bacteria are everywhere and it would be quite impossible to regulate numbers except on a few of the most pathogenic types.

The Consumer Reports study also found that about five percent of imported raw, farmed shrimp contained antibiotic residues. How prevalent is the use of antibiotics in farmed shrimp, and are there acceptable residue levels for farmed shrimp?

Dr. Fitzsimmons:

Most countries have instituted strict regulations on the use of antibiotics in shrimp, but the enforcement is lagging. And some farmers are still misusing. However, this needs to be considered in relation to the many antibiotics that are legally used in poultry, beef and pork in the U.S. I’ll trust the shrimp and will dig into a pile as soon as possible!

The post Is Shrimp Safe to Eat? appeared first on Best Food Facts.

1. Drinking organic milk means you won’t be ingesting growth hormones.
You may have heard that drinking organic milk keeps you from ingesting growth hormones, while drinking the non-organic counterpart means you are exposing yourself to growth hormones. The truth is no matter what type of animal milk you drink – conventional or organic – you are ingesting growth hormones, because growth hormones are naturally present in all milk and it comes from a living animal.

According to Dr. Ann Macrina, Research/Teaching Associate at Penn State University, “All milk naturally contains various hormones, including growth hormone. Cows naturally produce this hormone, also known as somatotropin or bST, and it can be found in milk in small quantities.”

Learn more about growth hormones and hormones in milk.

2.  Drinking conventional milk means you are supporting the overuse of antibiotics.
So, you’ve heard that by drinking conventional milk you are supporting the overuse of antibiotics. The truth is that in the dairy industry antibiotics are used to treat sick animals.

Dr. Ann Macrina says, “Cows that have illnesses such as respiratory infections, uterine infections after calving, or mastitis are candidates for antibiotic treatment. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners, a veterinary group dedicated to care of cattle, recommends antibiotic treatment only when necessary. The only time cows receive antibiotics to prevent mastitis is at the beginning of the dry period. This is when we stop milking the cow approximately 60 days before she is due to calve and start her next lactation. Treatment at this time is effective in preventing new infections, which could then require even greater use of antibiotics.” The Canadian Association of Bovine Vets also agrees with this statement.

What about residue from antibiotics in milk? According to Dr. Stuart Price, Auburn University, “Food animals treated with antibiotics must undergo a withdrawal period before products from them (such as meat or milk) can be processed for food, to allow time for the drug to be cleared from the tissue and thus prevent residues from being consumed.”

Learn more about antibiotics in food production.

3. Drinking conventional milk endangers the health of cows.
Many conventional dairy cows eat genetically modified (GM) grain and you may have read that GM grain is less healthy for cows than a non-GM grain diet.

According to Dr. Ann Macrina, “There is no evidence that genetically modified grain is unhealthy for dairy cows. GM grain used to feed dairy cows does not have a different nutrient composition compared to non-GM grains. Today’s dairy cows have high levels of milk production, requiring a high nutrient intake. Forages alone cannot meet this need, so grains are added to increase the nutrient density of the diet. However, feeding too much grain can have a negative impact on health, so dairy cattle diets are formulated to have an appropriate balance of both forages and grains.”

Also, you may be surprised to hear there are no nutritional difference between GM plants and non-GM plants when considering food for humans or animals. According to Dr. Peggy Lemaux, Cooperative Extension Specialist at the University of California-Berkeley, “Foods that have been genetically modified undergo testing for safety, health and nutrient value. The nutritional value of GM foods is tested and compared against non-GM foods. Numerous studies have shown no nutritional differences between commercially available GM and non-GM foods. In fact, genetic modification can actually improve the nutritional content of some foods, for example low linoleic acid canola oil can reduce trans-fat content. In these cases, the foods must be labeled to show the nutritional differences according to FDA policy.”

Learn more about GM and non-GM foods.

4.  Drinking conventional milk is harming the environment.
You may have heard that drinking conventional milk is harmful to the environment because many conventional dairy cows are fed GM grain and GM crops are bad for the environment. We reached out to expert Dr. Martina Newell-McGloughlin, Department of Plant Pathology at the University of California-Davis, to learn more about how GM crops impact the environment.

Dr. Newell-Mcgloughlin said, “An economists’ study analyzing GM crops a couple years ago determined that pesticides’ footprint is down by about 35 percent for corn and 25 percent for cotton. In addition, there is a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 286 million kilograms. This is because herbicide-tolerant seeds (which create herbicide-tolerant plants) allow farmers to practice no-till agriculture – that is, they don’t have to plow the land (which causes carbon dioxide to be released). This also means the soil integrity is retained so the organic matter is much healthier, there is less soil compaction because you’re not driving over the land, and water usage is better because it is being retained in the soil. As well, because you’re not driving over the land, fuel usage is lower. In fact, fuel usage is estimated to be about 20 gallons less per acre.”

Learn more about the impact of GMOs on the environment.

5.  Drinking milk means you are consuming herbicide and pesticide residue.
As a result of GM grain being fed to conventional dairy cows, you may have heard that drinking conventional milk means you are consuming herbicide and pesticide residue. As stated previously, Dr. Martina Newell-McGloughlin says “an economists’ study analyzing GMO crops a couple years ago determined that pesticides’ footprint is down.”

Furthermore, Dr. Carl Winter, Director, FoodSafe Program, Extension Food Toxicologist, says, “The present risks posed from pesticide residues in the diet are considered by most health professionals to be negligible and further reduction in pesticide residue exposure through increased consumption of organic foods is unlikely to result in any additional health benefit for consumers.”

Read more about pesticide concerns.

6. Drinking conventional milk means you are getting fewer nutrients than if you drink organic milk.
Have you heard that organic milk provides more nutrients than conventional milk? Well, it turns out that this just is not true.

Dr. Ann Macrina says, “Organic milk is not more nutritious than conventional milk. The levels of fat, lactose, and total solids are similar. One study showed a slightly higher protein concentration in organic milk compared to conventional milk. This is likely due to differences in herd management on organic farms and the fact that lower-producing cows usually produce milk higher in protein content. Cows on organic farms generally produce less milk than cows on conventional operations. The difference in protein content is small and likely would not account for any differences in total protein intake by consumers.”

It’s important to know that both organic and conventional milk are equally safe and each provide 16 essential nutrients.

_{“Milk Cans” by Richard BHmizo is licensed under CC BY 2.0.}

The post 6 Things You’ve Heard about Milk that are Wrong appeared first on Best Food Facts.

To understand antibiotic use in chickens a bit more, we reached out to Charles L. Hofacre, DVM, MAM, PhD, Professor and Director of Clinical Services, Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia; and Ken Macklin, PhD, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist Poultry Health, Environmental Issues and Biosecurity, Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University.

Are chickens raised without antibiotics better than those raised with antibiotics?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

By law, there is a withdrawal time for each of the antibiotics based on how that antibiotic is cleared by the birds – either their liver or their kidneys – out of their system. Is it less of a risk to eat chicken that has never been exposed to an antibiotic? Since we don’t know that there is any risk of antibiotic resistance being greater because of antibiotics use in food animals, I don’t know if there is any real benefit to a consumer that’s eating chicken that is from an antibiotic-free flock. Some people are willing to pay the money for a Jaguar and some people would rather just have a Toyota. If that’s what you choose, then that’s fine.

Are there any alternatives to antibiotics?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

There is an incredible amount of research dollars being spent right now to look for non-antibiotic compounds to prevent the intestinal diseases. When it comes to the treatment, I don’t know if we can find alternatives. We really need the antibiotics to treat the sick animals. When it comes to preventing that intestinal disease, there’s a lot of work going on right now to look at different types of compounds that could be put in the feed or the water that could help prevent Coccidia or clostridium, the secondary bacteria, from causing disease. There has been some work looking at vaccines to prevent these intestinal diseases, but as of yet, no one has been successful in finding a vaccine to prevent some of the intestinal diseases.

Dr. Ken Macklin:

Because of consumer demand, the poultry industry is moving away from antibiotics and trying to find suitable replacements, like vaccines and probiotics (good bacteria) and prebiotics (eating a diet that will promote good bacteria growth). A lot of companies are starting to use vaccines, with mixed success.

What’s going on in the industry in regards to antibiotic use? Are farmers trying to use fewer antibiotics?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

Farmers have always been very judicious in the way that they’ve used antibiotics. It’s a business. Famers only use things that they need to use. Farmers are as concerned about creating any kind of risk for their own family as they are with someone they would sell their chicken to. They’re not going to do things that are illegal or unethical. Less antibiotic use is being driven by consumers. It’s not being driven by the government. Some consumers have more disposable income and are willing to spend more on chicken if they know it was grown in a certain way, and that market is increasing in the United States. We’re starting to see some of the larger chicken companies recognizing that and providing that product.

Dr. Ken Macklin:

The poultry industry is trying to meet consumer demands and move away from antibiotics, especially those antibiotics important for human health. Europe has already moved away from certain classes of antibiotics, but they haven’t eliminated all antibiotics. The challenges are that when farmers eliminate certain antibiotics, the chickens have more intestinal diseases, which means the chickens have to be treated more often. Because of this, the cost of chicken meat will go up.

Is there regulation of antibiotics?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

The FDA has been quite wise in what they are doing with their antibiotic guidance documents (209 and 213), which must be fully in effect by December 2016. Antibiotics in food animals will be put under veterinary oversight, and pharmaceutical companies can no longer have a claim for growth promotants on their antibiotics. Pharmaceutical companies must show that a specific antibiotic at a specific dosage is preventing a disease. The FDA is not going to ban all use of antibiotics – they are only banning those in which they can’t demonstrate prevent a disease. The pharmaceutical companies have to change all of the labels to require a VFD (veterinary feed directive similar to a prescription). Farmers must have veterinary oversight when feeding antibiotics.

Is there a testing process to make sure there are no antibiotics in the meat?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

The whole process starts whenever a pharmaceutical company is going through the approval process with the FDA. They have to demonstrate to the FDA that there is no antibiotic residue remaining in the meat or in the liver or the kidneys or any specific tissues of that animal for a certain period of time, called a withdrawal period. For some drugs, the withdrawal time is 24 hours, for others it might be 72 hours, for others 5 days. That’s a legal requirement, and if the withdrawal times before an animal goes to market are not followed farmers can go to jail. The USDA takes samples for the FDA of different tissues from each processing day at each processing plant, and they run a whole panel of the most commonly used antibiotics (and even some of those that aren’t approved for use in chickens) to make sure everyone is playing by the rules. The United States has one of the premier systems for that in the world.

Dr. Ken Macklin:

There are no antibiotics in the meat. There are withdrawal times so the antibiotic works through the animal’s system, and then, the meat is tested to make sure there is no antibiotic residue in the meat. The withdrawal time is the amount of time it takes for the antibiotic to work through the system so that it’s no longer present.

Looking for more information?

Are There Antibiotics in Chicken Meat? Part I: Reasons Why Antibiotics Are Used in Poultry Production

Are There Antibiotics in Chicken Meat? Part II: Antibiotics Classifications and Safety

_{“Tasty chicken, pepper & onion skewers” by David Precious is licensed under CC BY 2.0.}

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To understand antibiotic use in chickens a bit more, we reached out to Charles L. Hofacre, DVM, MAM, PhD, Professor and Director of Clinical Services, Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia; and Ken Macklin, PhD, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist Poultry Health, Environmental Issues and Biosecurity, Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University.

Some antibiotics are classified as for human use. Why are they being fed to poultry if they’re so important to humans?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

I think what the human medical community is finally recognizing is that a lot of hospital-acquired infections don’t have anything to do with food animals. They have to do with our own usage of antibiotics in the human community, not in animals.

Dr. Ken Macklin:

It goes back to historical precedence. They’re available for human and poultry use, and they’ve always been available for both human and poultry use. Yes, there are some human-classified antibiotics being used, but generally only for therapeutic cases.

Why do we treat poultry in mass quantities, and why do we have to treat them all the time, not just when they’re sick?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

There are two different types of medicine. There’s population medicine, and there’s individual medicine. In humans, for example, there is individual medicine where if you have an infection, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic just for you. With population medicine, for example, if one individual comes down with a disease that is highly communicable, it’s quite possible that the medical community will treat everyone in the population as preventive measures. In poultry, we raise anywhere from 25,000-35,000 chickens in one chicken house. They’re raised on the floor, and they interact with each other, and walk around and get food and water whenever they want, and if a disease gets introduced into that house, the birds could spread it to each other, so we would treat the individual chicken that’s sick, but we would also treat those who are susceptible to the disease, which is why we would treat the whole house with an antibiotic.

Dr. Ken Macklin:

The typical chicken house has at least 20,000 chickens. It would be too challenging to give antibiotics to one certain chicken. For example, the feed mill may produce feed for 120 chicken farms. Two or three farms have chickens with intestinal illness caused by Clostridium perfringens. It’s difficult for the feed mill to make feed just for those two or three specific farms. And often times they do, but most of the time when they’re making feed, they’re making feed for millions of chickens. It’s the make-up of the industry. It’s too large and too costly to make feed just for one or two farms.

Will feeding my children chicken that has been raised with antibiotics increase their chances of having an illness that is antibiotic-resistant?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

As far as we know there is no risk. If the FDA knew of any risk, they would have the ability to immediately withdraw from the market any product considered an imminent human health hazard, and wouldn’t hesitate to do that.

Dr. Ken Macklin:

No. As long as you’re handling the chicken and cooking it properly, there should be no bacteria in the meat that they’re consuming. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are in the environment naturally. Antibiotics are produced naturally by other bacteria and fungi to combat each other. Is there a chance of getting sick from an antibiotic-resistant bacteria? The answer is yes. However, I would say as long as the meat is properly handled the risk is non-existent.

Are the antibiotics making chickens bigger? Are antibiotics the same as hormones?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

Antibiotics are not hormones. Hormones are natural compounds that are synthesized in all animals. Those compounds are banned for use in poultry and have been for more than 50 years. Antibiotics are compounds that are produced by bacteria or fungi, so because the fungi and the bacteria have to compete with each other, they fight off their neighbor fungi or bacteria to kill it. Antibiotics have been around for a long time. They’re natural compounds that we use to fight off those secondary bacterial diseases like clostridium. Yes, they make chickens grow faster because a sick animal doesn’t grow as well as a healthy animal. Antibiotics are used to keep them healthy. Yes, chickens today are bigger than the chickens of yesterday, and that’s due to genetic selection. Farmers have selected chickens for breeding that grow big and grow fast to be the mother and father for the next generation. That has been going on since the 1930s. That’s why chickens have gotten bigger – by selective breeding of birds.

Dr. Ken Macklin:

No, antibiotics are not hormones. Hormones for use in poultry have been outlawed since the 1950s. If the chickens are sick and you’re making them healthy, they’re going to grow better. If you have chickens that aren’t sick and they are given antibiotics, they’re going to grow at the same rate.

Do poultry companies have to use antibiotics in raising their chickens? Could they get by without using them? What would happen if we didn’t use them?

Dr. Charles L. Hofacre:

If we were not able to use any antibiotics for treatment or prevention of disease, then that would result in an extreme welfare issue for the chickens, or any animal in general. Any time an animal got sick, then you’d just have to let them get sick and die instead of treat them. When it comes to the prevention of disease, if we were unable to give antibiotics in the feed, we would see significant increase in intestinal disease. If we didn’t have antibiotics for treatment, they would just get sick and suffer.

Looking for more information?

Are There Antibiotics in Chicken Meat? Part I: Reasons Why Antibiotics Are Used in Poultry Production

Are There Antibiotics in Chicken Meat? Part III: Antibiotics Regulation

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