Bacteria in grocery meat resistant to antibiotics

[cynatnite]

(Reuters) - Researchers have found high levels of bacteria in meat commonly found on grocery store shelves, with more than half of the bacteria resistant to multiple types of antibiotics, according to a study released on Friday.

While the meat commonly found in grocery stores is still safe to eat, consumers should take precautions especially in handling and cooking, the chief researcher for the study said.

The study by the Arizona-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGRI) examined 136 meat samples from 26 grocery stores in Illinois, Florida, California, Arizona and Washington D.C.

snip:
Price said the most significant findings from the study aren't the level of bacteria they found, but rather how the bacteria in the meat was becoming strongly resistant to antibiotics farmers use to treat the animals they slaughter.

The study found that in 96 percent of the meats with staph bacteria the bacteria were resistant to at least one type of antibiotic, and 52 percent were resistant to three or more types.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/15/us-bacteria-meat-idUSTRE73E7FJ20110415

[MadHound]

1. Start patronizing your local, organic, beef producers,

The product is safer, the meat tastier, and in many cases, less expensive, at least if bought in bulk.

I purchase a quarter cow each year from my neighbor who raises organic, grass fed beef. It is tastier, better for me, and only costs $2.30/pound for any cut.

[aquart]

2. IN or ON?

Makes a difference.

[Wilms]

3. From the link...

"The bacteria is always going to be there. But the reason why they're resistant is directly related to antibiotic use in food animal production," Price said. "Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest threats to public health we face today."

[Overseas]

4. But hey, Republicans cut the budget for those bothersome inspections and stuff,

So we won't have to hear about how many bacteria are found.

We can just eat our cheap hamburger meat, get carted off to the hospital, fed with antibiotics that no longer work, have the bill put onto our credit cards and then be thrown into debtors' prison to die.

We'll be enriching our hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and private prisons! Hooray! That's the Republican Vision for America!

[RebelOne]

5. Vegetarian here, so I'm not worried about it. n/t

[Liquorice]

7. Yep, I'm so glad I'm a vegan. But I do worry about others being sickened

by the contaminated meat, especially children who have little choice about what they're fed.

[trotsky]

11. You should be.

Because where do you think the natural, organic fertilizer used on your vegetables comes from?

Remember the food poisoning outbreaks traced to E. coli on lettuce?

[CoffeeCat]

6. And also...is this true?

I heard this story on the nightly news when I was watching tv and doing many other things.

I thought I heard that 50 percent of all of the meat contained this staph. Is that accurate?

Also, I thought this was an interesting quote from the article, "The study found that in 96 percent of the meats with staph bacteria the bacteria were resistant to at least one type of antibiotic, and 52 percent were resistant to three or more types."

[WinkyDink]

8. This is appalling!! I gave up beef because of BSE; now, who knows? Though I AM lucky to be in

eastern PA, with farmers' markets galore.

[Quantess]

9. Aren't factory farm animals routinely fed antibiotics?

It is common knowledge that bacteria and viruses become immune upon exposure to antibiotics.

[Quantess]

10. duplicate