The New York Times (4/17, Strom, Subscription Publication, 1.68M) reports the findings in report by the Environmental Work Group illuminated Federal data that claims over half of "samples of ground turkey, pork chops and ground beef collected from supermarkets for testing by the government contained a bacteria resistant to antibiotics." The 2011 data collected by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, which is jointly run by the FDA, the USDA and the CDC, reveals "a sizable increase in the amount of meat contaminated with antibiotic-resistant forms of bacteria, known as superbugs, like salmonella, E. coli and campylobacter." Dawn Undurraga, the nutritionist for the group, said the study "really raises a question about the antibiotics we are using in raising animals for meat." The Times also mentions the report was partially underwritten by a company that sells organic and antibiotic-free meat.
The Huffington Post (4/16, Tepper) adds, "These microbes are superbug versions of pathogens that, even in their milder forms, have devastating potential, including salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter jejuni. The EWG report also pointed to other studies that suggest there are concerning levels of pathogens such as Yersinia enterocolitica and Staphylococcus aureus in meat." EWG experts also believe the "boom in superbugs is directly related to the increased use of antibiotics by factory farms."
Forbes (4/16, Hoffman, 928K) reports, "Almost 90 percent of all store bought meat also had signs of normal and resistant Enterococcus faecium – a bacteria that indicates the product came in contact with fecal matter at some point during or after processing." The bacteria are also responsible for 3.6 million cases of food poisoning a year.
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