BlogEntry11

Antibiotics in Food

Have you ever wondered what you would do if there would be no medications? Did you ever think that salmonella could be a deadly disease because of the food you consumed? Not many people think this commonly appearing and harmless disease might be a hazard to public health. In the era of new technology that allow for the treatment of such serious diseases as cancer or AIDS, people ignore the growing number of mortality caused due to increased resistance to the antibiotics. While increasing presence of antibiotic resistance attracted the attention of scientists around the world, I would like focus on antibiotic overuse in food industry that contributing to spreading of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among people. I would like to prove that we should not consume food products made from animals routinely fed with antibiotics because they have negative effects on humans.

Both humans and animals have millions of bacteria existing inside and outside their bodies. These useful bacteria help get rid of microorganisms that cause diseases, but they also support digestive system. When people use antibiotics they kill bad bacteria, but they also kill huge amount of beneficial bacteria. If during the antibiotic therapy, there are even few bacteria that are resistant to administrated medication they will outlast in the human or animal body. The resistant bacteria that survived can multiply, “share the mutation or the gene causing resistance with other bacteria” (Shlaes 16). The bacteria might be intrinsically resistant toward certain antibiotic, but some bacteria acquire resistance through DNA changes or DNA transfer from other bacteria that is already antibiotic-resistant to one or more antibiotics (Verraes 2646). People infected by resistant bacteria that should kill or stop division of infectious cells cannot efficiently fight infections caused by these germs.In general, antibiotic resistance means overuse or misuse of antibiotics that cause formation of microorganisms resistant to the activity of antibiotics which impede treatment of even common infections .

Widespread of antibiotic resistance caused that many health organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO) or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC) released reports about dangers associated with antibiotics overuse in food industry to non-therapeutic purposes that affect humans’ health. In 2011, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 17 drugs classes which all together include 40 antimicrobials drugs for use in food-producing animals (4).It is also alarming that these medications include “the same antibiotics or classes of antibiotics that are used in human medicine(Love 279). Moreover, CDC estimated that antibiotics used in agriculture constitute 80 percent of all antibiotics approved for sale in USA (Concerns Over…).The current economic situation force food producing companies to lower their operating costs and to increase their output. To cope with market expectations food industry began to use antibiotics contrary to original specifications. There are two main purposes of antibiotic use in agriculture which include therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes. Therapeutic use of antibiotics in animal husbandry include veterinary intervention aimed at sick animals and “prophylaxis for animals at high risk of disease”( Garnter 12). Medicinal use of antibiotics administrated to sick animals is designed to fight infections that might spread on the whole population of animals in the plant. Prevention of diseases among farm animals is another reason why food-producing companies commonly use antibiotics. Most factory farms are squeezed in small spaces which conductive to spread of bacteria. For example, “a single barn from a large hog-production facility can hold 2,000 or more pigs, creating ideal conditions for”( What's In...45) infections. To avoid unnecessary expenses related to the treatment of ill animals food companies apply routinely small doses of antibiotics to farm animals. Prophylactic use of antibiotics aims to reduce the risk diseases among animals.

Nevertheless, non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animals’ husbandry raises concerns around the world because overuse of these medications involves humans’ additional and unnecessary consumption of medically active substances. Non- therapeutic use of antibiotics means that healthy animals receive antibiotics with their food or as injections for growth promotion(Love 279). First “antimicrobial growth promotants ”(Marshall) used for the animals’ growth were discovered in the mid 50’s of the twentieth century (Marshall). As Stohestad says, food industry disclosed that small doses of antibiotics such as penicillin given in feed increase the weight of animals (Marshll). Currently, medications used in animal productions “increase the efficiency of particular phase of life, increase the rate of weight gain, improve feed efficiency, or enhance milk production” (Love 279). For example, around 40% of beef calves receive medications “to prevent liver abscesses that negatively impact growth” . Moreover, almost 90% of U.S. swine get feed containing antibiotics such as that promote animals’ growth (Landers, 6). Terrifying is also that most antibiotics added to animal feed are difficult to determine because no one verify how much antibiotics food-producing animals consume. Most plants are designed that animals eat food from large containers together with other animals, whenever they want and as much as they want (Love 279).  Additionally, it is disturbing that farms employees determine the use of feed containing antibiotics, although antibiotic that are used in livestock producing require veterinary prescriptions (Love 280).Unfortunately for animal food consumers who consume additional amounts of antibiotics in their food , meat industry belittle this lack of data regarding antibiotics use in their facilities because of financial benefits which gives them overuse of antibiotics in food- producing animals.

Feeding animals with antibiotics leads to another problem that threatening public health. WHO alarming that overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics in animals husbandry cause spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and gens from animals to humans (Antimicrobial resistance…59). Routine use of antibiotics in livestock productions is a perfect ground for development of microorganisms resistant to active antibiotics ingredients. According to Shlaes, antibiotic resistant bacteria contain DNA sections resistant to multiple antibiotics, and these sections might move from one system to another (19). Antibiotic- resistant bacteria from food products are danger for humans because they are easily transferable. They might exist in “the digestive system of humans and animals, as well as in food” (Varraes 2646), so they spread imperceptibly even by direct consumption of food that do not reacquire processing. The transfer of resistant bacteria might occur both by direct contact with infected products and consumption. However, raw products are not the only threat for public health because inappropriate cooking or storage also causes transfer of antibiotic resistant bacteria. One of the studies concerning antibiotic resistance “showed that drug-resistant Escherichia coli was present on beef carcasses after evisceration and after 24 hour in the chiller and in ground beef stored for 1 to 8 days” (Marshall).The  article What's In That Pork? presents another test results of 148 pork chops samples and 50 samples of ground pork collected form brand American stores. About 70 % of testes samples were contaminated by bacteria that cause many health complaints such as diarrhea. Moreover, some analyzed bacteria were resistant to antibiotics used to cure humans (44). People should realize that food companies use huge amounts of antibiotics in their facilities which increase presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in food that ultimately end on our plates.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria prevalent in food have direct impact on humans’ because they affects two most important aspects of people’s lives: health and their economic situation. Overuse of antibiotics in factory farming cause that bacteria which people consume with food become resistant to more and more antibiotics used to treat humans’ diseases. A few years ago, the U.S. outbreak of Salmonella was responsible for hospitalization of many people, and 10% of infected patients died. The problem with the treatment of these Salmonella strains was related to antibiotics used in factory farming to which this germs were resistant. To treat patients infected with these bacteria we have only one class of antibiotics that can fight this infection (Shlaes 17).  Another time, the FDA revealed that almost “half of Salmonella isolated from chicken breasts were resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics and more than 30% were resistant to five or more classes of antimicrobials” (Wang 253). These analyses confirm that emerging presence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in food constitute a real threat to human health. The more multi-resistant bacteria we have in our environment the more antibiotics lose their therapeutic effects, so the greater number of people is threatened by diseases or even death.

The second reason why we should not consume food containing antibiotics are rising medical costs associated with the treatment and prevention of diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. According to CDC, “in the United States, antibiotic resistance adds $20 billion in excess direct health care costs, with additional costs to society for lost productivity as high as $35 billion a year”( http://www.cdc.gov). To these costs come expenses on the development of new antibiotics that will combat multi-resistant infections. The article from New York Times reports, the Health and Human Service Department signed an agreement with pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline, that include $40 million for development of new drugs (Meier, “Pressure grows…”). It is necessary to find new medications that can be used in human medicine because most current antibiotics lost their effectiveness in the treatment of many so far common diseases.

Most people do not pay attention that meat they buy for their weekend barbecue come from farm that routinely feeds healthy animals with antibiotics. We should not allow for unnecessary exposure to medically active substances and antibiotic-resistant bacteria of animal origin because they have negative effect on our health and economy. As a individuals and as a society we can make conscious consumer decisions. To influence the unethical actions of food manufacturers we should chose food from organic farms that do not use antibiotics, and we should always check the labels that confirm no antibiotics in the products we buy. We can also impact on our legislation by placing a petition in the governmental website “We the people” where we can fight for stringent regulations against antibiotics used in animal agriculture.  We say “no” to antibiotics in our food to protect ourselves and future generation from destructive action of food industry.

Work Cited

"Concerns Over Antibiotics In Meats." Environmental Nutrition 37.3 (2014): 3. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. Web. 15 May 2014.

Food and Drug Administration Department. 2011 Summary Report On Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals. 2011. PDF file.

Landers, Timothy F, Cohen, Bevin.,et al. "A Review Of Antibiotic Use In Food Animals: Perspective, Policy, And Potential." Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C.: 1974) 27.1 (2012): 4-22. Medline with Full Text.Web. 19 May 2014

Love, David C., et al. "Dose Imprecision And Resistance: Free-Choice Medicated Feeds In Industrial Food Animal Production In The United States." Environmental Health Perspectives 119.3 (2011): 279-283. MEDLINE with Full Text.Web. 19 May 2014.

Marshall, Bonnie M, and Stuart B Levy. "Food Animals and Antimicrobials: Impacts On Human Health."Clinical Microbiology Reviews 24.4 (2011): 718-733. MEDLINE with Full Text.Web. 15 May 2014.

Meier, Barry. “Pressure Grows to Create Drugs for ‘Superbugs’”. The New York Times, 3 June 2013, The New York Times. Web. 21 May 2014

Shlaes, David M., Antibiotic. The Perfect Storm, New York: Springer, 2010

Tavernise, Sabrina. “Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Lead to 23,000 Deaths a Year, C.D.C. Finds”.          The New York Times, 13 September 2013, The New York Times.Web. 20 May 2014.

Verraes, Claire, Van Boxstael, Sigrid., et al. "Antimicrobial Resistance In The Food Chain: A Review."International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health 10.7 (2013): 2643-2669. Medline with Full Text.Web. 13 May 2014.

Wang, H, McEntire, J.C., et al. "The Transfer Of Antibiotic Resistance From Food To Humans: Facts,Implications And Future Directions." Revue Scientifique Et Technique(Internationa Office Of Epizootics) 31.1 (2012): 249-260. MEDLINE with Full Text.Web. 19May 2014.

"What's In That Pork? We Found Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria--And Traces Of A Veterinary Drug."Consumer Reports 78.1 (2013): 44-46. MEDLINE with Full Text.Web. 13 May 2014.

World Health Organization.The evolving threat of antimicrobial resistance: options for action. Geneva, 2012. PDF file.

World Health Organization.Antimicrobial resistance global report on surveillance. 2014.   PDF file.

WHO Regional Office for Europe.Expert Consultation on Antimicrobial Resistance. Copenhagen, 2011.PDF file.

http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0916-untreatable.html