Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
People Want to Eat Meat Raised Without Excessive Antibiotics. Wouldn’t You?
By Maryn McKenna June 20, 2012
The magazine Consumer Reports is publishing a report and poll on US consumers’ attitudes toward the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture. From everyone’s reactions when I write about this, I thought people cared about this issue, but the numbers are a little surprising even to me: 86 percent of shoppers in a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults said they wanted meat raised without antibiotics to be available in their local supermarkets. Some other key numbers:
72 percent of shoppers were concerned about overuse of agricultural antibiotics creating superbugs
67 percent worried about routine antibiotic dosing in livestock feed
65 percent thought there might be antibiotic residues in meat they consume
61 percent worried about antibiotics entering the environment from mega-farm runoff
61 percent were willing to spend at least 5 cents more per pound in order to buy meat raised without antibiotics
37 percent were willing to spend an additional dollar per pound.
read more: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/meat-drugs-poll-video/
Link to full report: "Meat on drugs" .
The report has recommendations for all stakeholders: farmers, trade, retailers, governement, congress.
.
By Maryn McKenna June 20, 2012
The magazine Consumer Reports is publishing a report and poll on US consumers’ attitudes toward the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture. From everyone’s reactions when I write about this, I thought people cared about this issue, but the numbers are a little surprising even to me: 86 percent of shoppers in a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults said they wanted meat raised without antibiotics to be available in their local supermarkets. Some other key numbers:
72 percent of shoppers were concerned about overuse of agricultural antibiotics creating superbugs
67 percent worried about routine antibiotic dosing in livestock feed
65 percent thought there might be antibiotic residues in meat they consume
61 percent worried about antibiotics entering the environment from mega-farm runoff
61 percent were willing to spend at least 5 cents more per pound in order to buy meat raised without antibiotics
37 percent were willing to spend an additional dollar per pound.
read more: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/meat-drugs-poll-video/
Link to full report: "Meat on drugs" .
The report has recommendations for all stakeholders: farmers, trade, retailers, governement, congress.
.