HOW DOES ANTIBIOTIC USE IN PIGS IMPACT THE CONSUMER
A BRIEFING ON THE LINK TO PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS OVER DRUG-RESISTANT BACTERIA AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION DUE TO HOG WASTE
“What are we eating?” As consumers consider their dietary options, this is a common question asked across the country on a daily basis. As the demand for animal protein rises locally and globally at unprecedented rates, more often than not, the question of what are we eating tends to be answered with beef, chicken, or pork. As garnered from course readings and lectures, there are many health and environmental concerns associated with animal protein consumption. As our nation faces an abundance of public health questions regarding the safety of animal protein …show more content…
Antibiotics are a type of antimicrobial used in humans for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections. Infections may include those found in patients with respiratory illnesses, urinary tract infections, or provided in the treatment of wounds. In the 1950’s, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved the first antibiotics to be used in animal feed as it was shown to increase the weight of livestock, such as pigs.1 While the amount of dosage is under debate and review, and has been for nearly three decades, antibiotic use in pigs is administered for primarily two reasons. Namely, to treat pigs that are ill, high dosages of antibiotics are dispensed. Long-term low dose antibiotic administration is conducted to fatten livestock and or prevent illness. Antibiotics allow for the inhibition of microbial growth, which permits pigs to increase their absorption of nutrients and calories thereby increasing their weight. The following table was released in the USFDA’s fifth annual report on antimicrobials sold or distributed for use in food-producing …show more content…
As evidenced by the table above, antibiotic usage in feed is comparatively higher than other routes. As a point of clarification, the superscript “1” notated on the table in the feed category represents antibiotics currently labeled as medically important for humans used in animal feed, not antibiotics that are medically important to the health of the food-producing animal.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pork ranks third in annual nationwide meat consumption, behind beef and chicken, and is generally consumed as bacon, ham, or sausage.3 While the majority of the public may consider the pig as predominantly consumed for its meat, pigs play additional vital roles, if not as commonly known, to human life. Aside from meat consumption, pig by-products are vast and range from violin strings, footballs, and linoleum to serving as heart transplant organs, cutting oils, and in the creation of bone china. In the United States, hog production sites, also known as pig farms, are found in nearly every state. However, per the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture, there are three states that contribute to over 55% of the nations hog and pig sales as well as end-of-year inventory.4 By rank, those states are Iowa, North Carolina, and Minnesota. Regardless of states with the highest inventory of hogs, pig farming is distributed
A BRIEFING ON THE LINK TO PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS OVER DRUG-RESISTANT BACTERIA AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION DUE TO HOG WASTE
“What are we eating?” As consumers consider their dietary options, this is a common question asked across the country on a daily basis. As the demand for animal protein rises locally and globally at unprecedented rates, more often than not, the question of what are we eating tends to be answered with beef, chicken, or pork. As garnered from course readings and lectures, there are many health and environmental concerns associated with animal protein consumption. As our nation faces an abundance of public health questions regarding the safety of animal protein …show more content…
Antibiotics are a type of antimicrobial used in humans for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections. Infections may include those found in patients with respiratory illnesses, urinary tract infections, or provided in the treatment of wounds. In the 1950’s, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved the first antibiotics to be used in animal feed as it was shown to increase the weight of livestock, such as pigs.1 While the amount of dosage is under debate and review, and has been for nearly three decades, antibiotic use in pigs is administered for primarily two reasons. Namely, to treat pigs that are ill, high dosages of antibiotics are dispensed. Long-term low dose antibiotic administration is conducted to fatten livestock and or prevent illness. Antibiotics allow for the inhibition of microbial growth, which permits pigs to increase their absorption of nutrients and calories thereby increasing their weight. The following table was released in the USFDA’s fifth annual report on antimicrobials sold or distributed for use in food-producing …show more content…
As evidenced by the table above, antibiotic usage in feed is comparatively higher than other routes. As a point of clarification, the superscript “1” notated on the table in the feed category represents antibiotics currently labeled as medically important for humans used in animal feed, not antibiotics that are medically important to the health of the food-producing animal.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pork ranks third in annual nationwide meat consumption, behind beef and chicken, and is generally consumed as bacon, ham, or sausage.3 While the majority of the public may consider the pig as predominantly consumed for its meat, pigs play additional vital roles, if not as commonly known, to human life. Aside from meat consumption, pig by-products are vast and range from violin strings, footballs, and linoleum to serving as heart transplant organs, cutting oils, and in the creation of bone china. In the United States, hog production sites, also known as pig farms, are found in nearly every state. However, per the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture, there are three states that contribute to over 55% of the nations hog and pig sales as well as end-of-year inventory.4 By rank, those states are Iowa, North Carolina, and Minnesota. Regardless of states with the highest inventory of hogs, pig farming is distributed