A posted announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture caused quite a stir on Wednesday when it appeared to embrace the “Meatless Monday” campaign until it heard from the beef industry. Oops!
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Sorry, recently said the FDA to the Corn Refiners Association but “high fructose corn syrup” is just not “corn sugar.” The industry group persists, however, citing of all things the main argument for GMO labeling. 
The FDA took long-overdue steps towards curbing the overuse of antibiotics in farm animals aimed to preserve effectiveness of antibiotics. Unfortunately, the measures remain voluntary and industry compliance remains to be seen. 
Nearly 35 years ago, the Food and Drug Administration initiated proceedings to withdraw the approval of the subtherapeutic use of certain antibiotics in agricultural animals but it took a Court Order to force the agency to follow through. 
U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an order to restrict unapproved use of cephalosporin class of antibiotics in farm animals. Many, however, are critical of the agency’s decision to regulate a practice that is already in decline. 
Cows producing human breast milk?! Hold the laughter, this story is real. Scientists in China and Argentina genetically modified cows to produce human breast milk. Milk and cookies, anyone? 
If approved by the FDA, a new bill introduced in California, known as The Consumers Right To Know Act, would require labeling on all genetically engineered salmon sold in California. At least one African government petitioned to include the paraquat herbicide formulation in the Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention. This could have far reaching consequences for the export of the herbicide. 
PAMTA - the legislation that addresses overuse of antibiotics in the agricultural system, which leads to antibiotic resistance in the human population, is once again introduced by Congresswoman Slaughter. 
New FDA data shows that almost 80% of all antibiotics sold in 2009 were reserved for animal farming. Part two of our series on antibiotic overuse in healthy farm animals examines the response from the FDA and the proposed legislation. 
See if you can correctly answer the question. 
The practice of feeding antibiotics to healthy farm animals is widespread among industrial animal farm operators despite warnings of many medical experts. 
With Non GMO Month around the corner, let’s return to the basics: why avoid GMOs? Among concerns, human and animal health, environmental impact, morals and ethics, socioeconomic issues, and food labeling. 
The Office of Inspector General gave the nation’s residue inspection program, which monitors to ensure that the nation’s meat supply is free from chemical contamination, a failing score. Eat meat at your own risk. 
The next generation of biotech crops are designed to express alleged nutritional benefits. However, advertising such foods as “healthy” would only confuse the consuming public. 
From the company that brought you plastics and rubber (DuPont) comes a genetically modified soybean that is altered to exhibit alleged health benefits. 
In a somewhat positive news for consumers, Hunt’s ketchup product line will no longer contain contain high fructose corn syrup, ConAgra Foods announced on Monday. The high fructose corn syrup will be replaced with sugar from sugar cane. 
A recent study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey found that ALL fish tested from 291 freshwater streams across the United States was contaminated with mercury. 
Pharma wastes are identified by the EPA “contaminants of emerging concern,” and have been linked to multiple health and developmental problems in aquatic animals. Because of the potency of the drugs and their prevalence in our waterways many believe that their presence may also affect human health and addressing this illegal water pollution needs to be a high priority in our governments. 
Recently, a New York Times article exposed the practices of the ground beef industry and inadequacies in USDA’s oversight. The industry’s desire to cut costs and the failure of the regulatory agency to have and/or implement safety protocols, has, at times, resulted in dire consequence. Taking a step in the right direction, the Obama Administration announced on July 14, 2009, that it will seek to ban the routine use of antibiotics on healthy farm animals. With the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria, such as new strains of staph and strep, and waves of swine flue and the bird flue in recent history, it would seem illogical and dangerous to society as a whole for continuing the practice of feeding healthy farm animals antibiotics simply to encourage rapid growth. |
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