Survey Says: Hog Farms Still Abusing Antibiotics

The head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) research branch recently stated that hog farmers are going overboard with antibiotics, and consumers may be paying the ultimate price. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as "superbugs," are a growing threat to human health.  With 80 percent of antibiotics in the U.S. going to livestock, antibiotic-resistant bacteria showing up in supermarket meat, and drug-resistant bacteria literally crawling off factory farms, the finding that factory pig farmers are overusing drugs should come as no newsflash.

And here's another morsel of recent information: Last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shared guidelines with hog, cattle, and chicken producers, urging these farmers to stop using antibiotics in feed. This was not because there was a new law in the works to ensure more "judicious" antibiotic use — the FDA was merely offering voluntary suggestions. Shockingly, no one seems to be following the guidelines, but the USDA wants to do more research. The agency is asking for more money in the 2012 budget to go towards study on alternatives to antibiotic overuse in factory hog farms.

The National Pork Producers Counsel says this is all a bunch of hogwash, pardon the pun. The industry group fully supports all antibiotic use in raising hogs and denies that there is a link between human antibiotic resistance and the massive quantity of drugs used in factory hog farming.

While the connection between overuse of antibiotics on hog farms and drug-resistant bacteria in humans is logical, there's no need to take my word for it. The Pew Charitable Trusts has compiled a bibliography (PDF) of relevant research and writing on the topic. And if you need a realistic idea of what goes on inside a factory pig farm, you can watch the documentary, Pig Business, here.

While we're conditioned to think that there is no other way to raise meat in this day and age, that isn't the case. For example, Denmark already stopped overusing antibiotics in its livestock. The country compensated by improving animal husbandry, like letting piglets spend more time with mama pig and implementing cleaner pens to naturally build immunity. According to The Atlantic, the Danish hog industry is reporting better productivity than before.

Our FDA is falling abysmally behind in its work. It's the agency's job to address the overuse of antibiotics on farms — instead, the agency issues guidelines with no legal teeth whatsoever. We need true antibiotic regulation in food animals, not ineffectual suggestions. Sign our petition telling the FDA to create real reform and set firm laws against the misuse of antibiotics on farms!

Photo credit: Bob n Renee via Flickr