Antibiotics in Your Food? Not likely.

Antibiotics in Your Food? Not likely.

So many people will talk about antibiotics in food.

They will complain about antibiotics in some types of milk, egg, chicken, and meats.

Now – let’s talk antibiotics. They are used to treat bacterial infections, not viruses in humans and other animals.

Everyone should take antibiotics appropriately, and the whole cycle consumed even if you feel better. If you don’t, the most potent bacteria survive, reproduce, and make an entire line of more potent bacteria that can resist antibiotics.

Sepsis can be life-threatening (and I had a family member die from septicemia). Sepsis is when the body’s response to an infection damages tissues in the body, including the blood. Antibiotics save lives when used correctly.

Animals get infections. My dogs have been on antibiotics throughout their life, and it would have been cruel not to treat them. It could have killed them if I hadn’t gotten them treated. So when an animal, even livestock, gets an infection, it is humane to treat the disease if possible.

They choose foods labeled as “antibiotic-free” or “no antibiotics.”

Which is great.

But here is the truth: all food you buy will be antibiotic-free.

Milk:

Mastitis happens in women who breastfeed. Cows get it too. One treatment for mastitis is antibiotics. Cows who are sick or have an infection get separated from the rest of the herd. They get treatment, and their milk is discarded until their treatment is complete and they are free of antibiotic residue. Their milk is antibiotic-free.

Milk from the farm is tested for antibiotics. Any residue found in milk is discarded at the farmer’s expense, and the farmer could go out of business. Do you think a dairy farmer would risk having an entire tanker truck of their product dumped? Milk is closely monitored. While you may be cynical about it, testing happens and is closely tracked.

Eggs:

ALL eggs in the U.S. are antibiotic-free. Based on FDA regulations, if an egg-laying hen needs antibiotics, the farmer cannot sell eggs from that hen for human consumption.

Chicken and Turkeys:

Chickens and turkeys may get antibiotics to prevent disease. However, before they are killed for processing, they go through a withdrawal period to ensure there is no antibiotic residue in the system. Then, the poultry is randomly sampled and tested for residues. And residue violations are a very low percent of the samples.

Other Meats, including Beef, Bison, Lamb, and Pigs:

Like the other animals, the same is true for these animals. Antibiotics may be used, but there is a required withdrawal period before slaughter to ensure no antibiotic residue. And there is random testing that happens regularly with low violation rates.

There are low violation rates in all cases. And, if violations occur, it isn’t just that batch that is affected. It is the whole farm.

Antibiotics are used in animals, as with any animal, it helps treat a bacterial infection. However, if you are getting food from USDA approved source through your grocery store, the chances of you having any antibiotic residue in your food are virtually zero.