Consumer Reports recommends consuming Certified Humane® products as an option to avoid antibiotic-resistance seen in humans due to overuse of anitbiotics in food production.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created a list of Tips to Avoid Superbugs in Meat. Consumers can choose organic meats and meats raised without antibiotics. Buy from farmers and producers who use antibiotics judiciously, and ask your butcher how the meat was raised. Look for labels stating “USDA Certified Organic, Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Humane, and Global Animal Partnership.”

Recent animal welfare actions in the food industry: 
December 2012: Safeway becomes the first grocery retailer to make a national commitment to Certified Humane® cage-free eggs.

Autoridades alertan peligro con carne de pavo molido

Shelburne Farms promotes livestock health through good nutrition and sanitation as well as low-stress handling. The dairy herd is Certified Humane® by the Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) third-party, nonprofit organization. Shelburne Farms was the first Vermont farm to earn this distinction.

Consumer Reports also found that products with the labels “organic,” “raised without antibiotics” and “no antibiotics,” did not ensure safety. These products were also as likely to contain bacteria that were found in the products without labels, but tended to be less likely to have developed resistance to superbugs. Consumer Reports recommends people to continue to buy the “organic” label along with “USDA Process Verified” label to be extra safe. Other labels that indicate no antibiotics usage are “animal welfare approved” and “certified humane.”

Studies show that meat is still contaminated with bacteria that can make you sick, but organic, and other production practices that minimize the use of antibiotics, do contain fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Análisis de Consumer Reports: las bacterias en el pavo criado sin antibióticos mostraron mucha menos resistencia a los antibióticos que las bacterias en los pavos convencionales

The Food and Drug Administration and other organizations say antibiotic use is spreading the incidence of germs that are resistant to antibiotics, causing possible health problems in humans who get infected.

Análisis de Consumer Reports: las bacterias en el pavo criado sin antibióticos mostraron mucha menos resistencia a los antibióticos que las bacterias en los pavos convencionales.