By
Abhijit Ghosh
In a time of national
division, Americans remain unified on their love for chicken. As the No. 1
source of protein consumed by Americans, chicken commanded $90 billion in 2016
consumer spending.
The use of antibiotics in feed
and agricultural water began in the 1950s. While pharmaceuticals and chicken
farmers have harvested financial windfalls and cost savings respectively,
consumers are facing an emerging public health crisis. Behind the curtain of
murky marketing, uncooked chicken may have elements of bacterial resistance
rising from the industry’s unchecked antibiotic usage. By changing their
spending habits and demanding state legislation, consumers are reshaping
industry practice.
In 1950, American Cyanamid, a
pharmaceutical, stumbled on to a finding where the use of Aureomycin, an
antibiotic, played a key role in fattening chicken. Word spread across the
industry and the use of antibiotics to spike livestock feed and agricultural
water mushroomed. While farmers have been able to fatten birds quickly,
pharmaceuticals have been fattening their wallets. According to Consumers
Reports, 80 percent of antibiotics sold today are used for meat and poultry
production. Of the 27 million pounds of antibiotics sold in 2014, livestock
operations used 20 million.
Public
health crisis
The purpose of antibiotics is
clear: to kill potentially harmful bacteria. Repeated use and overuse trigger
bacteria to mutate in order to gain resistance to the effects of any particular
antibiotic. With their large enclosed spaces, chicken farms provide the perfect
nidus for antibiotic resistance. Under the FDA’s blind eye, those bacteria-infested
chicken then follow supply chain to grocery stores and kitchen counters.
According to the CDC, 23,000 people die from microbes resistant to antibiotics.
The Institute of Medicine concluded in a 1988 report that “a link can be
demonstrated between the use of antibiotics in food animals, the development of
resistant microorganisms in those animals, and the zoonotic spread of pathogens
to humans.”
FDA
The FDA’s mission is to
protect the public’s health and keep the food system secure. Under the FDA’s
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. Sects. 301-399f), the FDA must
approve a new animal drug before it goes to market. Following the 1950 finding
and rapid application, the poultry industry quickly obtained FDA approval. To
this day, the approval stands. Due to aggressive lobbying of pharmaceutical and
chicken farmers, Congress has been successful in creating only voluntary
requirements to curtail antibiotic usage for growth purposes, while maintaining
an exception for medicinal usage in chicken farms.
Litigation
Nonprofit advocacy
organizations including the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) attempted
to push the FDA into action by going into litigation focused on 21 U.S.C. §
360b(e)(1). Prior to issuing the voluntary guidelines, the FDA called for
hearings regarding the public health crisis but never held the hearings. NRDC
argued that the cited rule above compelled the FDA to actually hold the
hearings. On appeal, the Second Circuit sided with the FDA’s decision not to
withdraw the approval.
States
In 2014, tests from Consumer
Reports revealed that 97 percent of chicken breasts available for sale at
grocery stores nationwide contained bacteria that are potentially harmful for
human consumption. Such jarring statistics compelled consumers to demand
changes at the state level. Of the eight states that had proposed legislation
to curtail antibiotics usage in chicken farms only California passed a law,
which will take effect Jan. 1, 2018.
Industry
Perdue has begun to change its
business practice. Perdue showed that it was feasible to maintain production
while completely phasing out antibiotics. Motivated by stagnant sales, fast
food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, and Subway issued statements
that they will stop serving chicken processed with antibiotics.
Conclusion
With the movement towards
healthier eating, Americans’ love for chicken will only grow. Today, however,
consumers don’t want just any chicken, they want antibiotic-free chicken.
Consumers are driving the demand for antibiotic free chicken. Fast food
companies are listening and encouraging chicken farms to do the same. There is
a false assumption that chicken grown without antibiotics would be cost
prohibitive. As evidenced by its increasing market share, Perdue has taken the
lead showing it is indeed possible to meet consumer demands without using
antibiotics. The question is will other chicken farmers follow suit?
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