Restaurants, foodservice providers as well as grocery stores offer meat that is raised without antibiotics. However, how sure can consumers be in knowing that they're getting the quality they're paying for?
The use of antibiotics in factory farms is causing bacteria to evolve and develop resistance. The overuse of antibiotics has led to the death of superbugs.
1. Look for the RWA label
If you're searching for beef, chicken or pork, beef or chicken, poultry or beef raised without antibiotics, you must look over the label carefully. It may be difficult to determine which statements are accurate. A survey by the CU found some labels to be inaccurate or misleading for example, labels that make special claims about "raised antimicrobial-free."
Overuse of antibiotics in human and animal medicine has contributed to the growth of drug-resistant bacteria, or superbugs that threaten our health. The antibiotic-resistant bacteria can spread from person to person in hospital settings, contributing to serious infections and deaths.
An increasing number of consumers buying meat from suppliers who fed to animals that were not treated with antibiotics in order to lower their chance of developing antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But a recent research published in Science has raised doubts on the authenticity of RWA Labels. Researchers tested samples of urine of cattle slaughtered in a facility which offers beef that bears the RWA label. They discovered that in a period of 7 months, within 42% of lots delivered to the slaughterhouse in preparation for RWA certification at least one of the animals tested positive for antibiotics used in water or feed. In https://chicagoist.com/2012/06/21/meat_without_drugs_calls_for_trader.php, you are able to discover meat product.
2. Look for the No Antibiotics Ever label
You may also be seeing more often these days It reads "No Antibiotics Ever." This means the animal has never received any medically important antibiotics. (But the animal could be given other antibiotics used for growth promotion or to keep the animal healthy.) The animals must also be free of any antibiotic residue before they can be slaughtered or their meat, milk or eggs offered for sale.
It's good to know that these antibiotic-free claims have more credibility than claims that say "raised without Antibiotics inso they are actually looking for the labels. However, how sure can you be that you're getting the value you're paying for?
An article published by Science magazine put the issue to the test and revealed that a large part of the cattle advertised as "raised without antibiotics" actually received antibiotics. And if the meat producer hasn't been inspected by the USDA the USDA, it might be difficult to confirm the authenticity of the claim.
3. No Antibiotics Label
They aren't taken seriously from officials of the United States Department of Agriculture, even though they allow labels like "raised free of antibiotics" as well as "no additional antibiotics". Testing methods cannot establish that the animal received antibiotics or not, only that they were not administered at birth and not until the time of slaughter.
These types of antibiotics are those employed by physicians for treating patients. However, when they're given to animals they can end up in our bodies too, causing resistance and contributing to the ever-growing antibiotic-resistant "superbug" issue. A better option is to look for meat and poultry with"No added Antibiotics." No Added Antibiotics label, since these are proven by real-world testing.
Remember, although it is possible to purchase the meat that is raised with no antibiotics, it is still important be mindful of safe handling practices and cooking techniques at the home. It's important to make sure you use the cleanest surfaces and equipment, keep raw and cooked meat in separate containers and cook all of it in a safe manner.
4. Seek out the label that says No Antibiotics administered label.
The label says that the animal hasn't been given any antibiotics considered to be "medically essential" by humans. This is a huge deal as the over-use of antibiotics at factories can lead to the development of drug resistant superbugs that can cause death. The claims made on this label aren't backed by testing. Instead they rely solely on affidavits from farmers and frequent audits. The latest research conducted by Food In-Depth revealed that many of the beef products with this label were actually antibiotic-laden.
One exception to this rule is meats that are labeled"No Growth-Promoting Antibiotics," which means antibiotics only that serve a single purpose: to speed up growth. Refraining from antibiotics that stimulate growth remains a crucial option to decrease our use of antibiotics, and fight the growth of superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics.