Why Do Farmers Use Antibiotics?
There are three uses of antibiotics in livestock. Farmers use antibiotics to treat and control disease, prevent disease, and promote growth. I will discuss each of these uses in future blog posts.
What Types of Antibiotics are Used?
In Canada, there are four classifications of antibiotics. They are classed according to their importance in human medicine. Antibiotics that have very high or high importance in human medicine (Class 1 and 2) are not commonly used in livestock, and require a written prescription from a veterinarian. Antibiotics that have medium or low importance in human medicine (Class 3 and 4) are used more frequently in livestock. Antibiotics used for growth promotion are in class 4 and are never used in human medicine.
In Canada, there are four classifications of antibiotics. They are classed according to their importance in human medicine. Antibiotics that have very high or high importance in human medicine (Class 1 and 2) are not commonly used in livestock, and require a written prescription from a veterinarian. Antibiotics that have medium or low importance in human medicine (Class 3 and 4) are used more frequently in livestock. Antibiotics used for growth promotion are in class 4 and are never used in human medicine.
Can the Use of Antibiotics in Livestock Contribute to Disease Resistance?
Disease resistance occurs when an antibiotic is used to treat a bacterial infection and encounters some bacteria that has naturally mutated to be resistant to that antibiotic. The antibiotic will kill all of the other bacteria, but the resistant bacteria will live and multiply, increasing the number of resistant bacteria, which may be spread to other animals. Because of this, farmers and veterinarians need to work together to ensure prudent use of antibiotics. Additionally, there are several surveillance programs in Canada that monitor antibiotic resistance in the food chain.
It is highly unlikely that a human could develop an antibiotic resistant infection from eating meat. The best way to prevent this is to properly cook all meat, which will kill any bacteria present.
Disease resistance occurs when an antibiotic is used to treat a bacterial infection and encounters some bacteria that has naturally mutated to be resistant to that antibiotic. The antibiotic will kill all of the other bacteria, but the resistant bacteria will live and multiply, increasing the number of resistant bacteria, which may be spread to other animals. Because of this, farmers and veterinarians need to work together to ensure prudent use of antibiotics. Additionally, there are several surveillance programs in Canada that monitor antibiotic resistance in the food chain.
It is highly unlikely that a human could develop an antibiotic resistant infection from eating meat. The best way to prevent this is to properly cook all meat, which will kill any bacteria present.
Is the Use of Antibiotics a Big Topic in Producer Discussions?
Yes. There are articles in every major livestock magazine and newspaper, there are discussions and presentations at livestock conferences, and anywhere that livestock producers get together, they talk about disease. Discussions about disease lead to discussions about treating and preventing disease, and those almost always lead to discussions about the prudent use of antibiotics.
Are there Antibiotics in Canadian Meat?
All Canadian meat is free of antibiotics. Every time an animal is treated with antibiotics, they must be held for a withdrawal period, that is, a prescribed amount of time in which the animal must not be slaughtered and sold for meat. The withdrawal time allows for all antibiotic residues to fully exit the animal's system before the animal is slaughtered. If antibiotic residues are detected, the meat is not allowed to enter the food chain. Withdrawal times vary depending on the antibiotic used.
Yes. There are articles in every major livestock magazine and newspaper, there are discussions and presentations at livestock conferences, and anywhere that livestock producers get together, they talk about disease. Discussions about disease lead to discussions about treating and preventing disease, and those almost always lead to discussions about the prudent use of antibiotics.
Are there Antibiotics in Canadian Meat?
All Canadian meat is free of antibiotics. Every time an animal is treated with antibiotics, they must be held for a withdrawal period, that is, a prescribed amount of time in which the animal must not be slaughtered and sold for meat. The withdrawal time allows for all antibiotic residues to fully exit the animal's system before the animal is slaughtered. If antibiotic residues are detected, the meat is not allowed to enter the food chain. Withdrawal times vary depending on the antibiotic used.
If you have any questions about the use of antibiotics in livestock agriculture, please let me know in the comments section and I will do my best to answer them in upcoming blog posts.
A few examples of antibiotics commonly used in a beef operation.
References and Resources:
"Learn about antibiotic use in livestock"- video from Alberta Farm Animal Care
"Antibiotic alternatives for livestock producers" - article in Canadian Cattlemen
"Are you being misled about healthy beef?" - article from Alberta Animal Health Source
"Worried about antibiotic use and resistance in cattle?" - pamphlet from Alberta Beef
We city folks need your blog! So how does A&W raise their meat without the use of antibiotics? Seems that you need it to have healthy livestock. Thanks
ReplyDeleteIn order to keep livestock healthy, it is necessary to take a wholistic approach. So, there are ways of preventing disease through herd management, hygiene, nutrition, etc. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Antibiotics are just one tool that we have, but an important tool, to be sure. Producers who don't use antibiotics still raise healthy cattle, but they have to work harder to find solutions to control disease. Sometimes, they will treat with antibiotics, but then those treated animals can't be marketed with the rest.
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