Plying Chicken

USDA orders Tyson Foods to stop using antibiotic-free labels on poultry

Posted at 6:24 AM on 20 Nov 2007

Tyson Foods will no longer be allowed to use its "raised without antibiotics" label that the U.S. Department of Agriculture originally approved in May, due to a mix-up at the agency and disagreement over whether a medication used in Tyson's chicken feed should be classified as an antibiotic. Tyson launched a $70 million ad campaign in June touting its fresh chicken as antibiotic-free and labeling it as such. But early this month, the USDA notified Tyson that it had made a mistake in approving the label as the agency had ignored its own longstanding policy of classifying a drug Tyson uses in chicken feed as an antibiotic. For its part, Tyson says the type of medication in its feed, known as ionophores, is more of an antimicrobial than an antibiotic since they target a single-celled intestinal invader in livestock and not bacteria. The company has until mid-December to either stop using the current label, remove the medication in its chicken feed, or submit text and supporting documents seeking an amended label. Tyson is reportedly seeking to change the label, emphasizing that the medication used in their feed doesn't create antibiotic resistance in humans -- the overriding fear leading consumers to choose antibiotic-free products.

sources: The Wall Street Journal (access ain't free), Associated Press, Reuters
see also, in Grist: Pennsylvania bans hormone- and antibiotic-free labels on dairy products

ADVERTISING POLICY

Comments: (5 comments)

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Antibiotics and animal welfare

There's also important animal welfare implications in the decision not to buy animal products with antibiotics. Factory farmers use antibiotics as a crutch. They don't have to improve the conditions significantly as long as they can fight off disease by giving the animals large amounts of antibiotics. Farmers that have outdoor, free range operations tend not to use nearly as much antibiotics as giants like Tyson because their animals have more space. Crowding breeds disease.

Boycott factory-farmed animal products!

by amc89 at 8:52 AM on 20 Nov 2007

crutch

Thanks, AMC, for pointing out this important connexion between feeding antibiotics to animals and the CAFO system.

It is depressing that the grave issue of animal abuse gets lost in these never-ending quarrels of lawyers over terminology.

Let us hope that historians of the future will recognize that a foundational sentiment of American civilization is: How much damage can we cause, how much harm can we inflict, and still be legally allowed to make money?

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 11:49 AM on 20 Nov 2007

National Motto

Hey!

Someone should print labels that say...

"How much damage can we cause, how much harm can we inflict, and still be legally allowed to make money?"

And stick them on Republican campaign signs!

Ha!

Just kidding... yes... kidding... hah hah hah... don't do this at home.

This post is for entertainment purposes only and not actually a suggestion for acceptable behavior in a civilized society. Suggestion definitely void in the United States and Texas.

by wiscidea at 12:13 PM on 20 Nov 2007

And it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without ...

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_martha_r_071120_t ...

and here is the video referred to in the article:
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/HOR/

by estark at 3:52 PM on 20 Nov 2007

yes, mercy

Thanks, EStark. I had not known about the Mercy for Animals people. This is a powerful video. We can hope that showing it like this will have some good effect before long, sooner rather than later.

It does not seem obviously right that the workers themselves, such as the people who can be seen in the video knocking and tossing the birds around, should take any of the blame that rightly is assigned to the owners and managers. Those jobs are very low-paying, and the risk of catching serious diseases is high; and the people who take those jobs are in a position of great weakness and desperation, and so are easily bullied. When we see them behave as they do in the video, we need to learn how independent they really are, before judging them.

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 11:21 PM on 21 Nov 2007

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