It is estimated that 15-30 million pounds of antibiotics are pumped into domestic farm animals in the United States each year. No, all these animals are not sick. America's meat producers give their animals antibiotics on a regular basis to fatten up their animals and to prevent health problems in animals that are kept in extreme confinement. This in turn supports the rise of "superbugs," which are antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We eat these antibiotic-resistant bacteria in our meat and in our eggs. This puts nearly all Americans at risk because antibiotic-resistant bacteria are not treatable. Current FDA guidelines only ask that the meat industry end the use of unnecessary antibiotics, but does that mean they'll stop? No, only an FDA ban will get them to stop.



