For more than half a century, farmers have used numerous antibiotics to improve the health and productivity of pigs, chickens, cattle and other livestock. Today, a chorus of professional hand-wringers claim farmers are playing with a “ticking time bomb” that endangers human health. But the only clock ticking is the one counting down how long it will be until our industry is no longer able to provide abundant animal protein to a hungry world. Using scientifically sound tools like antibiotics is not a luxury. It is a necessity if we are to keep a healthy supply of meat, milk, poultry and eggs within the budget of consumers. It's time to look beyond sensationalism. It's time for a few truths about antibiotics.
Made possible by a grant from ALPHARMA Inc., Animal Health, For the Record brings you facts and analysis regarding the debate over antibiotic use in meat, milk and egg production. It is designed to temper the hype with a rational message on behalf of producers whose freedom to use this and other safe, effective, economical production methods is at stake. Working together, we can set the record straight on antibiotics.
‘Risk’ has become the buzzword that implies political action must be taken. But real risk assessment is a discipline that seeks to balance costs and benefits of political action..
Plus:
Scientists who have labored to quantify the risks that farm antibiotics could impact public health are yielding results that don’t fit the political alarmism.
What is it about farm antibiotic use that makes it such an attractive focus of public fear? A look into the psychology of panic.
Why can't reasonable scientists agree on antibiotic risk?
