There's nothing safe about meat.
The meat industry is gambling with human lives by using antibiotics in livestock.
The unfortunate fact is that on today’s intensive farming operations, antibiotics are necessary to keep the animals from all getting sick and dying. The only problem is that bacteria mutate rapidly and antibiotic resistant strains pop up here and there.
In an article from Grist, “Antibiotic-resistant salmonella burgers, with a side of flame retardants“, we learn of a recall of tainted meat: “In Colorado, 14 people have fallen ill from hamburger meat tainted with antibiotic-resistent salmonella”.
466,236 pounds of meat were recalled.
The article goes on to describe in detail the rampant antibiotic use in livestock production, and how it is threatening human health.
So are we any safer in Canada? Probably not. Antibiotics are used in livestock in Canada as well, and MRSA (antibiotic resistant staph infections) has been found on pig farms in Canada. In fact, the Canadian beef industry has been lobbying to allow for the import of unregulated antibiotics from the United States – with no thought as to the potential for creating antibiotic resistance bacteria through overuse of the antibiotics.
We need to change our food system before it kills us all.
Once again I’m glad I’ve been a vegetarian since 1993.
How much of that 466,236 pounds of meat was eaten by the time the recall took place? Almost all of it, I’d bet. I sure am glad I don’t eat meat!