Should Health Groups Sue the FDA for Giving Cattle More Antibiotics Than Humans?

by SodaHead News Posted 2011/05/26 19:47:17

Related Topics: FDA, Antibiotics, Waste, Health, Medicine, Food, Cattle, Livestock, Huffington Post, cows, Healthy, Union

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	Yes	58 votes	67%
	No	28 votes	33%

The Huffington Post reports that several health groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Union of Concerned Scientists, are attempting to sue the FDA for wasting antibiotics on healthy livestock in order to beef them up.

Approximately 70% of all antibiotics in our country are being squandered on healthy cows, pigs and chickens for unnecessary (and unnatural!) reasons like growth promotion, creating vast amounts of drug-resistant superbugs that put our children and families at risk.

The article also notes that even government officials have declared the waste of antibiotics a public safety concern.

Add a comment above

PhilCooper 2011/05/27 07:32:35

No

+6
Why would we want to sue ourselves? The FDA is part of the U.S. government, and is funded by our tax money.

A better approach would be to urge our elected representatives to pass laws that prohibit routine administration of human antibiotics to food animals. Such a law was passed in the EU about 10 years ago. To keep their livestock healthy, farmers switched to adding "Alli-Cinn", a mixture of cinnamon and freeze-dried Chinese-grown garlic powder to feeds. Allicin (a natural antibiotic in garlic) is formed from two precursor molecules in the presence of water in the animal's stomach and gut, and acts to inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria in at least 11 different ways, yet is harmless to beneficial bacteria that promote digestion and good health. Unlike man-made antibiotics that bacteria can circumvent with a single mutation, to get around allicin's properties the bacterial species would have to mutate 11 different ways, which is statistically very improbable. As a result, the livestock won't become factories for production of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
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More polls by SodaHead News

James 2011/05/28 19:59:37

Yes

FDA isn't really doing a good job and what they are doing anyway....

reply
zebsmom 2011/05/27 22:35:08

Yes

Or, even better, sue the individual producers that use them. 1] I, as a taxpayer won't have to pay for it and 2]they'll stop using them REALLY fast if there's potential liability involved. The FDA isn't the one using the drugs, they simply approved their use.

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zebsmom to zebsmom 2011/05/27 22:44:05

I checked no and it said yes. dang it.

reply
Sammie(: 2011/05/27 21:48:42

No

TSK.TSK.TSK.

reply
WickedPippy 2011/05/27 21:28:50
Gloria 2011/05/27 20:29:39

Yes

Antibiotics in food taken away resistance to diseases.

reply
apollo8 2011/05/27 20:00:31

No

I agree with PhilCooper!!!!!!

reply
Ron Hanforth 2011/05/27 19:37:35

No

the public simply needs to put the pressure on the distributors.

reply
Noah Vaile 2011/05/27 18:47:04

No

You can't sue the FDA for anything.

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Hausen 2011/05/27 18:21:12

No

+1
When you sue the FDA who gets the money? The Cows? Antibiotic abuse should be stopped. Not only by the Government but by all doctors. We are doing ourselves huge disservice in the long run. Suing everybody is not the answer though.

reply
Mr Marvin 2011/05/27 18:20:28

No

+1
Don't trust anything in Huffington Post. Depend upon real scence.

reply
PeeDonkeyPit 2011/05/27 17:33:13

No

No. The FDA should be disbanded. There is no constitutional authority for the FDA, EPA, HTSA, DHS, etc., etc., etc.

reply
FatherLiberty 2011/05/27 17:26:31

No

Suing them doesnt make sense. WE fund them, so suing them only means we are suing ourselves. What we should do is prosecute the people in the FDA for the intentional and repeated crimes of conspiracy they have committed by becoming an arm of the corporations instead of an agency for the protection of citizens. In fact, the FDA is such a destructive agency working entirely for the benefit of the large corporations that control them we would be better off is it was abolished entirely. They repeatedly cover up and manipulate studies to hide negative side effects. The FDA is comprised almost entirely of high level corporate heads of companies like Monstanto who continually move back and forth from these powerful corporations into the FDA and pass products for these companies while receiving enormous payments and promotions from these businesses after serving their time in the FDA. This IS conspiracy and IS a crime.

reply
Prime Time Lime 2011/05/27 16:47:27

Yes

Suing would be a start.How about having another non government group monitoring the cattle industry to stop the use of antibiotics.It is obvious the the FDA has no care for poisons in our foods.this organization should have the authority to ban all antibiotics in cattle,period.

reply
lawlerskates 2011/05/27 16:43:55

No

+2
Who do you think is gonna pay for that??? Don't make me say it fools.

reply
Annie~Pro American~Pro Israel 2011/05/27 15:16:54

No

+3
Damn lawyers, no wonder everyone has to pay an arm and a leg for health care.

reply
Diane 2011/05/27 15:01:47

Yes

+1
The FDA is not giving antibiotics to livestock. The FDA is allowing factory farms to give antibiotics to livestock. That has to be stopped.

reply
bob 2011/05/27 14:39:18

Yes

+1
They polute the cattle with Antibiotics, sterriods, then we eat and absorb it into our bodies.

reply
srini 2011/05/27 14:30:16

Yes

+1
FDA basically got its power due to one "accomplishment", and that not by design but by "bureaucrat's tool" of inaction--Fran Kelsey's "prevention" of thalidomide being marketted in US--and has done much more harm than good since then.

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AndyAnduer 2011/05/27 14:25:54

Yes

+1
It is disgraceful the way the animals are fed and given hormones and antibiotics then they put their stamp of approval on it. That is t one of the major causes of obesity in America and even other countries that buy American.
http://www.naturalnews.com/03...

reply
Petrifiedhippy 2011/05/27 14:14:45

Yes

+3
FDA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR A LOT OF "CRAP"
unhealthy drugs to humans... it never ends

reply
earl 2011/05/27 13:57:18

Yes

+3
If people knew what large corporate, Government subsidized farms where putting in the cattle and livestock you eat, there would be a total revolt in this country.
The meat has huge amounts of antibiotics and such. Even if it is labeled Organic!
Corn fed anything is getting chemicals into the meat!!!
Grass fed-free range is the only way o go!!!

reply
Assault 2011/05/27 13:20:54
RebornRepublicanBigot 2011/05/27 11:47:44

No

If they didn't get those meds we couldn't feed them the trash we are feeding them or have them living in their own poop.

Do Not Watch the Movie King Corn.

reply
ELLIE 2011/05/27 10:46:04

Yes

If it isn't broken don't mend it.The money should go to human medical care instead.

reply
Edward 2011/05/27 08:55:49

Yes

they should be sued big time.

reply
PhilCooper 2011/05/27 07:32:35

No

+6
Why would we want to sue ourselves? The FDA is part of the U.S. government, and is funded by our tax money.

A better approach would be to urge our elected representatives to pass laws that prohibit routine administration of human antibiotics to food animals. Such a law was passed in the EU about 10 years ago. To keep their livestock healthy, farmers switched to adding "Alli-Cinn", a mixture of cinnamon and freeze-dried Chinese-grown garlic powder to feeds. Allicin (a natural antibiotic in garlic) is formed from two precursor molecules in the presence of water in the animal's stomach and gut, and acts to inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria in at least 11 different ways, yet is harmless to beneficial bacteria that promote digestion and good health. Unlike man-made antibiotics that bacteria can circumvent with a single mutation, to get around allicin's properties the bacterial species would have to mutate 11 different ways, which is statistically very improbable. As a result, the livestock won't become factories for production of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

reply
sfxd to PhilCooper 2011/05/27 14:04:45

Great information. Informative, well thought out and succinct.
Thanks.

reply
zebsmom to PhilCooper 2011/05/27 22:37:23

Great reply. The EU also uses a lot of probiotics that aren't approved/available here. [sort of like feeding the animals yogurt]

reply
TeraP 2011/05/27 06:53:16

Yes

Oh yes, if all are not GOP's.

reply
william keegan 2011/05/27 06:44:32

No

+3
The FDA should be disbanded outright. The organization has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Big Pharma and Big Ag. When was the last time the FDA did anything that didn’t end up padding the pockets of the two? The whole purpose for instituting the FDA was to protect the people, to insure the food and drugs available to the people were safe. The organization has strayed so far from that purpose it couldn’t find it if it tried.

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FordCrews to william... 2011/05/27 17:08:41

+1
We need a reboot, all government agencies have become corrupt from top to bottom. 30 years ago, you couldn't get a job working in the same agency that someone related to you worked in, not nepotism is actively encouraged. 30 years ago, positions had to be advertised and the most qualified person got hired, now there are so many loop holes that 90% of the federal employees are hired due to family members working at the agency, a contribution to a political campaign, or due to a racial quota.

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william... to FordCrews 2011/05/27 19:16:34

If you understand the government regulation process it will help to clarify the situation. All government agencies issue regulations based on input received from the public. The problem is that the majority of the input comes from paid lobbyists. The lobbyists work for an industry or industry groups and provide information that will result in a favorable regulation to their own employers. Once a regulation is implemented the regulation basically picks winners and losers. The winners regularly make campaign contributions to the politicians that will insure favorable regulators are employed. It is a basically corrupt system, the FDA is among the most corrupt agencies in the federal government.

reply
FordCrews to william... 2011/05/27 20:52:48

+1
The problem is the paid lobbyist aren't lobbyist, they are bribers, the go and bribe public official with illegal kickbacks. it would be perfectly fine if companies paid people to go stand in front of congress with signs, mail letters, make phone calls saying vote for this bill for this reason. It's the gifts, vacations, prizes that make it corrupt.

At work this week a vendor gave us a "charity golf" tournament, you paid $24 as a donation to animal rescue league, for this you got a round of golf, all you could eat and drink all day, 6 course meal that night. The top 24 teams won a 2 day deep sea fishing trip, and/or a vacation to Mexico for them and their families for a week. For this a rather large government agency is paying 10x market value for computer storage, last year when the same charity event was held i sent the information to our legal department asking if it was legal, they responded, technically no, but the vendor is an 8a/minority owned company, and we "look the other way" when they are involved.

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Cimz 2011/05/27 06:43:18

Yes

Can't cattle be treated and raised like cattle instead of being given more antibiotics and whatever when not necessary

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Myrle Hulme 2011/05/27 05:41:43

Yes

You should never give any thing or person antibiotics unless it is necessary

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MOMMA THOMAS 2011/05/27 05:37:52

No

CHECKING NO BECAUSE WHO PAYS THE "FINE?" (WE PAID WITH OUR HEALTH RISKED FOR THE OVERUSE, WE PAID FOR FDA AGENTS WHO ALLOWED USE OF THE ANTIBIOTICS, WE'D PAY FOR THE COURT CASE, ...AND WE'D PAY FOR THE FINE.) ...WHY DON'T WE JUST RAISE CATTLE IN PROPER CONDITIONS?

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Melissa Silva 2011/05/27 04:50:57

Yes

Yes, sue them, not because they should be giving the meds to humans, but because by giving the cows antibiotics when they don't need them, they're just creating resistant bacteria that'll come back and bite them in the ass somewhere in the future.

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Dave Brewster 2011/05/27 04:14:19

Yes

"They" keep pumping chemicals into our commercial food sources. You wonder why people were significantly healthier 100 years ago???

reply
colton delaney 2011/05/27 04:13:48

Yes

they should be prosecuted for all the crap they put in our food. Our athletes are prosecuted for using steroids but they can load our food with the stuff.?
cancer is big business, so is beef. The FDA should be investigated.

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