BEWARE OF MEATS

STUDY:

According to the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, or NARMS, Retail Meat Annual Report,

· raw ground turkey tested, 81% was contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

· Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were found in some 69% of pork chops, 55% of ground beef.

· Of the chicken tested, 53% was tainted with an antibiotic-resistant form of E.coli,

In the meat NARMS tested, scientists found significant amounts of salmonella and Campylobacter — bacteria that cause millions of cases of food poisoning a year.

Between 1998 and 2010, chicken products, including roasted, grilled and ground chicken, were definitively linked to 452 outbreaks of foodborne illness and 6,896 cases of illness in the United States (Center for Science in the Public Interest).

Antibiotics are used in livestock to prevent disease, but they are also used as a protective agent and to help growth. Some 29.9 million pounds of antibiotics were sold in 2011 for meat and poultry production, compared with the 7.7 million sold for human use, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts, and that number has been on the rise.

Beware of the Meat caucus which would try to subdue/spin this report or minimize the effect.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The Environmental Working Group would like the FDA to regulate antibiotic use in meat better. Currently, the FDA only offers suggested guidelines, according to the group. Voice to FDA to keep your meat anti-biotics free.

Certain strains of E.coli can cause urinary tract infections, pneumonia and other illnesses. Antibiotic resistance means if you were to become ill, doctors would have fewer drug options to treat you.

Avoid meat if you can. If not, thorough cooking can kill bacteria, and washing your hands before and after touching meat can prevent the spread of disease.

ALSO READ

http://www.livescience.com/16320-foodborne-illness-listeria-cantaloupe-infographic.html