antibiotics in animals

Cattle eating a mixture of antibiotic-free corn and hay at Corrin Farms, near Neola, Iowa. Their meat is sold by Niman Ranch.

Health & Safety

Some In The Beef Industry Are Bucking The Widespread Use Of Antibiotics. Here's How

11:15pm April 02, 2019

by Dan Charles

Most beef cattle receive antibiotics in their feed to prevent liver abscesses while eating a high-energy diet. There's growing pressure on feedlots to stop this — and some have. But it's costly.

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A customer holds a McDonald's Big Mac. The fast-food giant, one of the world's biggest beef buyers, has announced plans to use its might to cut back on antibiotics in its global beef supply. Environmentalists are applauding the commitment.

Health & Safety

Lots Of Antibiotics Are Used In Beef Production. McDonald's Vows To Change This

3:20pm December 11, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

The fast-food giant, one of the world's biggest beef buyers, announces plans to use its might to cut back on antibiotics in its global beef supply. Environmentalists are applauding the commitment.

Grass-fed, antibiotic-free cattle gather at a farm in Yamhill, Ore. For the first time, government statistics show America's pigs, cattle and poultry are getting fewer antibiotic drugs.

Is The Tide Of Antibiotic Use On Farms Now Turning?

6:13pm December 07, 2017

by Dan Charles

For the first time, government statistics show America's pigs, cattle, and poultry are getting fewer antibiotic drugs. Public health advocates call the new figures encouraging.

A piglet gets a shot of antibiotic at a farm in Illinois. The World Health Organization is calling for strict limits on antibiotic use in animals raised for food. The guidelines could push many countries, including the U.S., to restrict drug use on farms.

WHO To Farmers: Stop Giving Your Animals So Many Antibiotics

2:06pm November 07, 2017

by Dan Charles

The World Health Organization is calling for strict limits on antibiotic use in animals raised for food. The guidelines could push many countries, including the U.S., to restrict drug use on farms.

In the 1950s, the poultry industry began dunking birds in antibiotic baths. It was supposed to keep meat fresher and healthier. That's not what happened, as Maryn McKenna recounts in her new book.

'Big Chicken': The Medical Mystery That Traced Back To Slaughterhouse Workers

11:42pm September 10, 2017

by Maryn McKenna

In the 1950s, the poultry industry began dunking birds in antibiotic baths. It was supposed to keep meat fresher and healthier. That's not what happened, as Maryn McKenna recounts in her new book.

Antibiotic- and growth-hormone-free cattle gather at a farm in Yamhill, Ore. Despite farmers pledging to reduce or stop antibiotics use, a new report finds that sales of antibiotics for use on farms are going up.

Despite Pledges To Cut Back, Farms Are Still Using Antibiotics

6:48pm December 22, 2016

by Dan Charles

Many meat producers say they are reducing their use of antibiotics. Yet the latest government statistics show that sales of these drugs for farm use continue to grow.

Color enhanced Transmission Electron Micrograph (TEM) of E. coli bacteria. Magnification: 132,000 at 8 x 10".

WATCH: Bacteria Invade Antibiotics And Transform Into Superbugs

2:02pm September 08, 2016

by Angus Chen

We know that bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, but we've never seen it happen. An MIT scientist figured out how to show bacteria surviving antibiotics and invading a giant petri dish.

Cattle graze in a field near Sacramento, Calif. California Gov. Jerry Brown, along with many health advocacy groups, has called the overuse of antibiotics "an urgent public health problem."

Antibiotic Use On Farms Is Up, Despite Promises To Kick The Drugs

11:32am December 11, 2015

by Dan Charles

Producers of poultry, cattle and pigs continue to use more antibiotics, according to the latest government data. That's despite more pledges from food companies to sell meat raised without the drugs.

Chipotle restaurant workers fill orders for customers. The company is now sourcing some of its pork from a British supplier that uses antibiotics to treat pigs when ill. Gail Hansen, a veterinarian and longtime critic of antibiotic overuse on farms, welco

Why Chipotle's Hard Line On Swine Antibiotics Is Now Blurry

8:16pm November 03, 2015

by Dan Charles

Some Chipotle restaurants now sell pork from pigs that received antibiotics to treat illness. It's a move that acknowledges the drugs can be used responsibly on farms.

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Cattle that are grass-fed and free of antibiotics and growth hormones are seen at Kookoolan Farm in Yamhill, Ore.

FDA Wants To Pull Back The Curtain, Slightly, On Farm Antibiotics

9:16pm May 20, 2015

by Dan Charles

The Food and Drug Administration wants to know which farm animals are getting treated most heavily. But the FDA's proposal still falls short of the best European data practices.