GMOs, Growth Hormones, & Antibiotics in food animals

If people were to become antibiotic-resistant, how would we cure the diseases that are incurable without antibiotics? When at the doctors receiving medicine, most people don't realize they are receiving a form of antibiotics. If us humans became resistant to this drug then Scarlet fever, the flu, and even a common cold would become severe problems because many americans have never fought away these illnesses without the help of antibiotics.

Growth hormones (GH) are also commonly used today in CAFOs. Cows normally give birth and lactate for about 9 months before milk secretion stops. GH elongate this cycle time and cause reproductive problems in the cows (Forbes, 68). GH increase milk production by 15%, cause animals to grow to maturity faster, and cause increase of muscle mass (Robin, 15). Animals that are injected with growth hormones get more infections and therefore the use of antibiotics is needed more often. Major U.S stores have pledged to not sell meats that have had growth hormones used in them: Wal-Mart and Starbucks are two of these (Smith, 45). The initial excitement about GH soon came to an abrupt stop when farmers started complaining: "You ought to look at it [Transgenic hormone], that's your job! This hormone is making my cows sick, and I'm afraid the people who drink my milk will get sick too." -A farmer calling Samuel Epstein, now emeritus professor of environmental medicine at the University of Illinois in Chicago (Robin, 22)

Studies on GH then started; A Monsanto study occurred that involved 82 cows during 40 weeks. The cows were divided up into 4 groups: the first group received no growth hormones and acted as a control group, the second group was injected every two weeks with a normal dose, the third group re...

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