Pork Producers Braced That You'll Find Out About Antibiotics

Not long ago, I posted an article about the connection between factory farming and antibiotic resistance, which is a leading health threat, according to the World Health Organization. Then, just the other day, I stumbled across the following article on meatingplace.com, an industry site. Apparently, the pork and poultry (the nice euphemisms for dead pigs and birds) industries have been bracing for more people to find out that farmers dose animals with more antibiotics than Americans take.

I missed the CBS report. (I don’t even know if it aired--did anybody see it?  ) Judging from the last line of this article, though, I’m sure the pork producers told plenty of happy stories about how they’re protecting people by giving pigs antibiotics. Hell, they had their “whitewash” prepared before the story even aired.

Veggie dogs, anyone?

Meat industry bracing for CBS antibiotic piece

Barring another big news story, the CBS Evening News has now scheduled its two-part series on antibiotic use in livestock production to run Feb. 3-4, and based on some of the interviews conducted for the piece, the pork industry is expecting to take a hit.

The story, originally scheduled to air several days ago, was pushed back by Haiti earthquake coverage. (See CBS to air story on antibiotic use in livestock and poultry, Meatingplace, Jan. 21, 2010.)

"Feedback from pork producers suggest the segments will be highly critical of livestock and poultry production," National Pork Producers spokesman Dave Warner told Meatingplace. He said pork producers interviewed found CBS's questions highly accusatory.

CBS research also included an interview with Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), who has sponsored a bill that would control antibiotic use in livestock, as well as a trip to Denmark, where antibiotic use has been banned in livestock for certain uses. CBS anchor Katie Couric also visited Koch's Turkey Farm in Tamaqua, Pa., which raises its turkeys free-range and antibiotic-free.

For now, industry groups are waiting to see what the edited segments actually contain and preparing to deal with any possible fallout.

"Pork producers use antibiotics responsibly to keep their animals healthy, and keeping animals healthy means producing safe food for U.S. consumers," said Warner.