When shoppers are looking for organic foods, including meats not raised with antibiotics, they depend on the products’ labeling to help them make their choices.
But what happens when the regulations aren’t enforced or checkpoints such as inspections on organic and antibiotic-free farms aren’t conducted? A study in Science Magazine found that in nearly 42% of the antibiotic-“free” cattle feed yards, at least one animal tested positive for antibiotics.
How can this be? One problem is that the regulations don’t appear to be stringent enough, as when inspections do occur, regulators aren’t actually looking for the presence of antibiotics in an animal but, rather, are testing for unsafe levels of antibiotics for humans.
SOURCE: Modern Farmer April 14, 2022