Restaurants, state agencies addressing overuse of antibiotics in livestock

The threat linked to the overuse of antibiotics in livestock production is gaining more attention, with a new report showing an increase in U.S. restaurant chains serving antibiotic-free meats, and four Minnesota state agencies banding together to address the problem.

Consumers Union and four other advocacy groups reported a doubling over the past year of restaurants receiving "passing grades" for their policies that decrease the use of livestock that receives routine antibiotics. The list, released this week, includes Panera Bread and Chipotle with top grades followed by Subway, McDonald's, Wendy's and Taco Bell.

But most of the nation's largest restaurant chains still either have token programs to reduce reliance on livestock raised with routine antibiotics, or none at all, the report found.

The trouble comes when antibiotics also used to treat human bacterial infections are given liberally to livestock in order to hasten their growth. This also hastens the growth of bacterial strains that are resistant to antibiotics — which can lead to severe illnesses and even deaths in humans who no longer have effective medication to fight off the bugs.

"Unless we can find ways to preserve the effectiveness of the antibiotics we have and slow the development of resistance to new antibiotics, we may again see increased numbers of illnesses and death due to our inability to control bacterial infections," said Dr. Ed Ehlinger, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health.

Already, antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths per year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While Consumers Union is using public pressure to pursue change, Minnesota's health department and other agencies are using a different approach through a new collaborative entitled One Health.

"We're not saying don't use antibiotics," said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist. "We're saying use them appropriately, avoiding overuse and misuse."

The collaborative has set a five-year timetable to reduce antibiotics overused on livestock, misused on patients, and disposed of in a way that pollutes the environment.