“Antibiotic Free” “No Antibiotics Ever” and “No Added Antibiotics” are commonly seen phrases in the meat department of any grocery store in America. You will often find meats with this label sold at twice the price of other options.
Which one is really better?
The answer is simple: either one. Chances are they are exactly the same. It is against federal law to sell meat with unsafe levels of antibiotics.
There are several measures in place to prevent antibiotics from reaching the public through their food.
First, farmers have to receive a prescription from a veterinarian to put antibiotics in the food or water of animals. This is usually only done in low doses over long periods to prevent common diseases that can infect herds or flocks.
Second, there is a legally required withdrawal period farmers must follow when administering stronger antibiotics to meat animals. This withdrawal period ensures that the antibiotics are no longer in the animal’s system when it is harvested.
Third, meats are tested by the USDA at processing plants for antibiotic levels. Anything deemed unsafe is discarded.
It is uncommon for farmers to bring in animals that are at an unsafe level of antibiotic residue, but the consequences are severe. Farmers who bring in more than one animal that is over safe levels in a twelve month period are put on a public “Violator List” Processing plants often avoid buying animals from people on this list.
It is important to remember why antibiotics are administered in the first place. Animals can get infections of all kinds, just like humans. They need to be treated for these infections to be kept alive and healthy.
To believe animals could go their entire life and never be treated with antibiotics while remaining healthy at harvest is unrealistic.