Why antibiotics in food?
To make chickens grow bigger. Growth promoters have been used extensively in animals’ feed and water in British farming for 40 years, especially in the poultry and pig industries. They account for well over a tenth of all antibiotic use in animals. The low-dose drugs are believed to cancel out bacteria in animals’ intestines that would hinder the absorption of nutrients. Although some growth promoters have been banned by the European Union because they are too similar to drugs in human medicine, the assumption had been that they would be replaced by makes still on the market. Their defenders argue that chickens grow 5% faster, and the 3-4% saved on feed costs is vital in keeping businesses viable. They prevent disease and produce birds to the quality standards demanded by supermarkets. Which antibiotics are used in chicken? After a European Union ruling on July 1, only two chemicals – flavomycin and avilamycin – are used to speed up growth. Until then several antibiotics were routinely
