United Poultry Concerns President
Karen Davis has the following letter in the October 13, 2003 issue
of The Nation in response to “Victory at McDonald’s”
by William Greider, Aug. 18/25, 2003, in which Greider says: “The
company formally acknowledged in late June that the heavy use of
growth-stimulating antibiotics by the industry threatens human health.”
Karen Davis responds:
It is important to understand that McDonald’s is banning only
one antibiotic use in chickens – growth promotion. The ban
permits other uses of antibiotics in their chickens. Since the antibiotics
used for growth-promotion are typically the same as or similar to
those used for disease control in the chicken houses, it is doubtful
what effect, if any, the McDonald’s policy will have. With
or without antibiotics, the poultry industry can manipulate weight
gain artificially by, for example, deactivating the protein that
prevents birds’ muscles from overdeveloping, or by disrupting
normal peptide and gut processes so that birds who are full feel
empty and continue eating. The trade literature is full of test
reports on alternatives to antimicrobial growth promoters in animal
food production.
It is a pipe dream that birds and other animals can be healthfully
and humanely raised for mass consumption. Moreover, the genetic
engineering of these animals is well underway in laboratories around
the world. People’s consciences and health would be better
served by eating vegetarian meals.
KAREN DAVIS
United Poultry Concerns
www.upc-online.org
United Poultry Concerns is a nonprofit organization that promotes
the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl. http://www.upc-online.org
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