Specifically, the analysis revealed antibiotic-resistant bacteria present on 79 percent of ground turkey, 71 percent of pork chops, 62 percent of ground beef and 36 percent of chicken breasts, wings and thighs sampled in supermarkets. The bacteria were tested using the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, and they were found to be resistant to at least one of 14 antibiotics.
The Environmental Working Group has submitted a letter to the FDA urging action on the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in supermarket meat. The group also released a meat and dairy label decoder, which can help consumers better understand the labels on these items.
“The public shouldn’t have to wait until 100 percent of the bacteria found on meat are untreatable with antibiotics before the FDA takes strong action,” said Dawn Undurraga, a working group nutritionist and author of the report. “Now is the time for the FDA to get medically important antibiotics off factory farms.”
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