Feedlots Research Paper

1389 Words3 Pages

THE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF FEEDLOTS IN AMERICA
Chanel Bailer
AP Capstone Mrs. OT Period 5
Word Count: 1432

Most American beef is raised on feedlots, to provide a lot of beef in a short period of time. These feedlots are crowded, which can cause the corn-fed cows to breed diseases that could be potentially harmful to the consumers. Feedlot owners have to give cows antibiotics to try to prevent the spread of diseases from animal to animal. Yet, sometimes these antibiotics are often unhelpful, and, therefore, it is possible for the number of these diseases cross over into humans. Bacteria such as Salmonella and others can cause infections in cattle and calves in turn affecting humans, if tainted meat from the …show more content…

Antibiotics are intended to kill bacteria. However, not all bacteria are alike, and they often mutate over time. Some types of bacteria are resistant to certain antibiotics. Therefore, as an antibiotic is more often used, the population of bacteria will gradually be replaced by a population of bacteria which the antibiotic cannot kill. (In simpler terms: more antibiotics that are used can cause the bacteria to not be affected by it at all.) (National Resources Defense Council, n.d).The regular use of antibiotics is so common because of the promotion of the increased growth rate in animals, and it is also used to increase profits (Dr. Tim O’Brien, 1997). The use of antibiotics should not be used to solely benefit large meat companies. Angela Browning, Junior Agriculture Minister, mentions that over 62 different antibiotics were authorized for use in the feed of cows (Dr. Tim O’Brien, 1997). In a business where profits are counted in pennies per cow, the weight gained with antibiotics and hormones is profound. Patrick Boyle of PBS states that “there is some evidence to indicate that the antibiotics kill the flora that would normally thrive in the animal's' intestines, thereby allowing the animals to utilize their food more effectively” (2014). This antibiotic can pose more health risks to humans. The biggest disputation over antibiotics concentrates around taking antibiotics that are used to heal human diseases and giving them to cattle. Microbiologist Dr. Glenn Morris states that the main problem for people is that, if someone consumes the bacteria through improperly cooked meat, he or she may not react well to antibiotic cure. Antibiotic resistance can become a big issue with the cows. The World Health Organization (WHO) specifically is worried about this issue, so they often suggest restraining the use of antibiotics in the animals we eat. In a

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