Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Vegan (alt.food.vegan) This newsgroup exists to share ideas and issues of concern among vegans. We are always happy to share our recipes- perhaps especially with omnivores who are simply curious- or even better, accomodating a vegan guest for a meal! |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
|||
|
|||
Citing Human Threat, U.S. Bans a Poultry Drug
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/29/na...DLA&oref=login
It's nice to read that some companies already have refused to by products that use this drug. It still is the tip of the iceberg in antibiotics in our food supply. July 29, 2005 Citing Human Threat, U.S. Bans a Poultry Drug By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON, July 28 (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that it was banning the use of the antibiotic Baytril in poultry because of concerns that it could lead to antibiotic-resistant infections in people. The agency's commissioner, Lester M. Crawford, ordered that approval for use of the drug, known generically as enrofloxacin, be withdrawn effective Sept. 12. Baytril, manufactured by Bayer of Leverkusen, Germany, is in the same family as the popular drug Cipro, which is used in humans. Dr. Crawford cited particular concerns about campylobacter bacteria, a growing source of serious illness in humans. Antibiotics used to treat the bacteria can be less effective if the germ has already developed resistance to Baytril, the agency said. Margaret Mellon, director of food and environment at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said, "It's the first time F.D.A. has withdrawn a veterinary drug on the basis of antibiotic resistance concerns, fearing that use of the drug in animals is going to erode the effectiveness of the drugs in human medicine." Campylobacter is commonly found in the intestinal tracts of turkeys and chickens, where it does not generally cause illness, Dr. Crawford said in his order. Use of enrofloxacin in poultry does not eliminate campylobacter from the birds, but instead results in the development of bacteria resistant to this type of drug, he said. Resistant bacteria may be present in poultry sold at retail outlets. Dr. Crawford noted that since the drug was introduced for poultry in the 1990's, the proportion of resistant campylobacter infections in humans has risen significantly. That can prolong the length of infections in people and increase the risk of complications, he said. Complications can include reactive arthritis and blood stream infections. A Bayer spokesman, Bob Walker, said company officials were reviewing the ruling from a scientific and legal position before deciding whether to appeal it. Bayer has 60 days to appeal Dr. Crawford's decision to a federal appeals court. According to the interest group Keep Antibiotics Working, many top poultry producers have announced that they no longer use such drugs in chickens produced for human consumption. Such producers include Tyson, Gold Kist, ConAgra, Perdue, Foster Farms and Claxton. Major chicken buyers, including McDonald's, Wendy's, Dairy Queen and Burger King, have instructed their suppliers to stop using this class of drugs in chickens they buy. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Richard K Somebody's Lawyer Threat | General Cooking | |||
Butchering the human carcass for human consumption. | General Cooking | |||
This IS a death threat | Barbecue | |||
Triple Threat! | General Cooking | |||
China Bans Soy Sauce Made From Human Hair.... | General Cooking |