Below is your August 2012 newsletter from the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming. This edition features a video of Supermoms visiting Capitol Hill, a new report on misleading meat labels, action from senators, and more.
What's In Your Lunchbox?
As August draws to a close and kids head back to school, many of us are faced with the daily task of packing a lunchbox. Unfortunately, because of confusing labeling practices by the meat industry, it is not as simple as you would think choosing turkey or bologna to make your child’s sandwich.
A Consumer Reports investigation recently uncovered numerous confusing and unverified labels indicating that no antibiotics were used in meat and poultry production. In response to these criticisms, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has said (PDF) that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is committed to reviewing labels on meat packages, so that consumers can make thoughtful and informed meat product purchases.
Learn which labels are trustworthy, and which are meaningless, in a helpful chart.
Image used under Creative Commons from Flickr user Greg Mote
Senators Call for FDA Action
Thirteen senators sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging it to tighten its recommendations for reducing the use of antibiotics on industrial farms. Several members of the House of Representatives also weighed in, pushing for strong FDA action on the issue.
In their letter, the senators expressed concern that the new guidance leaves a major loophole that allows food animal producers to continue feeding antibiotics to healthy animals to compensate for overcrowding and to promote growth—in effect sidestepping the intent of the reform.
A Supermom Goes to Washington
In our new video from the Supermoms Against Superbugs advocacy day in May, Supermom Everly Macario remembers the life of her son, Simon, who at 18 months old, contracted an antibiotic-resistant infection, MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). None of the antibiotics doctors administered were able to cure him and he died. Learn about her trip to D.C. by watching our video.
With support from people like you, who wrote to FDA last month on closing important loopholes in policy guidelines, there is little doubt that the government heard Everly's message and yours.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today introduced the Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act, a bipartisan bill that would eliminate certain antibiotic-related practices that contribute to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria and endanger human health. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
More infoThis bibliography lists the latest published scientific and economic literature concerning the contribution of routine antibiotic use in food animals to the growing public health crisis of human antibiotic resistance. Research on how antibiotic use in food animal production contributes to the growing health crisis of antibiotic resistance dates back more than 30 years.
More infoPew Charitable Trusts today applauded Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Susan Collins (R-ME), for introducing the Antimicrobial Data Collection Act, which would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to report more information on the annual sales of antibiotics used among industrial farm animals. The bipartisan bill would also give the agency a deadline to finalize policies proposed last year to eliminate the use of antibiotics for growth promotion purposes in meat production.
More info"As a nation, we need to exercise greater care with our use of antibiotics, in both humans and animals, so that these medications remain effective in treating serious bacterial infections."
More infoCopyright(c) 1996-2012 The Pew Charitable Trusts. All Rights Reserved.
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