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Link between antibiotic use on farm and resistance in humans
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he Royal Society of the UK has published a new paper “Modelling the impact of curtailing antibiotic usage in food animals on antibiotic resistance in humans”, which mathematically models the impact of curtailing antibiotic usage in food animals on antibiotic resistance in humans. According to authors, B.A.D. van Bunnik and M.E.J. Woolhouse, consumption of antibiotics in food animals is increasing worldwide and is approaching, if not already surpassing, the volume consumed by humans. It is often suggested that reducing the volume of antibiotics consumed by food animals could have public health benefits. Although this notion is widely regarded as intuitively obvious there is a lack of robust, quantitative evidence to either support or contradict the suggestion. “As a first step towards addressing this knowledge gap, we develop a simple mathematical model for exploring the generic relationship
between antibiotic consumption by food animals and levels of resistant bacterial infections in humans. “We investigate the impact of restricting antibiotic consumption by animals and identify which model parameters most strongly determine that impact. “Our results suggest that, for a wide range of scenarios, curtailing the volume of antibiotics consumed by food animals has, as a standalone measure, little impact on the level of resistance in humans. We also find that reducing the rate of transmission of resistance from animals to humans may be more effective than an equivalent reduction in the consumption of antibiotics in food animals. Moreover, the response to any intervention is strongly determined by the rate of transmission from humans to animals, an aspect which is rarely considered,” state the authors. In response, the Responsible use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA), states it welcomes the Royal Society’s study, but cautions
Not OK in OK
Jerked back
USA: OK Food of Oklahoma is recalling a massive 933,272 pounds of breaded chicken products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal, FSIS announced. The problem was discovered after OK Foods received five consumer complaints stating that metal objects were found in the readyto-eat chicken products and by FSIS inspection personnel during verification activities. After an internal investigation, the firm identified the affected product and determined that the objects in all the complaints came from metal conveyor belting.
USa: Whiskey Hill Smokehouse of Oregon is recalling 22,466 pounds of beef, venison and ostrich jerky products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, FSIS announced today. The products contain soy, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.
10 | Meat Packing Journal | May~June 2017
MSG headache USa: Rochester Meat Company of Minnesota is recalling 13,330 pounds of pork sausage products due to misbranding, FSIS
that what the paper itself describes as a ‘simple model’ can only give an indication of likely outcomes. RUMA chair Gwyn Jones says: “The study highlights the complexity of antibiotic resistance and the need for a ‘One Health’ approach to the problem across humans and animals. So while it suggests that removal of antibiotics from animal production systems is not the answer to antimicrobial resistance in humans, the food and farming sector should not in any way dilute its current focus on reducing, refining and replacing antibiotic use across all sectors. “An important point it does raise, however, is that a drive for ‘antibiotic-free’ farm produce is not necessarily beneficial for human health and makes any related detrimental impacts on animal health and welfare even more unjustifiable. RUMA therefore retains its position that responsible use of antibiotics alongside well-managed, scientifically-robust reductions is the most appropriate approach.”
announced. The products contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), an ingredient which is not declared on the product label. The problem was discovered on March 2, 2017 by company personnel during routine label reviews. FSIS was notified on that same date. There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products.
Boneless shiga USa: H&B Packing Company of Texas is recalling 73,742 pounds of boneless beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O103, FSIS announced. The problem was discovered when FSIS was notified www.meatpacking.info