2023-12-27 08:08:06
Perdue Foods sells scaremongering over antibiotic use
Amanda Zaluckyj*
My note: This is the story of a marketing approach in which one company claims to be more “virtuous” than the other in the United States of America. In the end, the entire industry suffers from what constitutes a kind of denigration.
We have the same problem in France… but shush, no names (and it’s not just organic). There is something to learn from this article.
Perdue’s latest marketing campaign isn’t subtle. It shows Jim Perdue and (presumably) his two sons walking through the company’s offices. The boys explain to viewers that their “biggest competitor” (they don’t name him directly, but they are referring to Tyson) is starting to give his chickens antibiotics once more before they even get sick. The boys say you can’t solve problems by “throwing antibiotics at chickens.” The ad then shows a woman throwing pills at her broken car engine. We then cut to a promotion for Perdue, which claims to raise chickens in a “healthy” way that does not require the use of antibiotics.
Perdue’s website devotes an entire page to the campaign and claims that the use of antibiotics is dangerous to humans and the environment. He also claims that the Tyson company (whose name has still not been revealed) uses antibiotics that are not authorized for use in humans. And Perdue, of course, puts the health of his birds and his customers ahead of profit.
So what is going on here?
It all has to do with the “No Antibiotics Ever” label you may have seen on your chicken products over the past decade. In the mid-2010s, discussions regarding the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture came under greater scrutiny. Farms sometimes used antibiotics as part of their production practices, including to make poultry gain weight. But in 2017, the FDA revised its regulations to eliminate these uses and required veterinary oversight for any use of antibiotics to treat sick chickens.
The FDA’s efforts, however, came a little too late. How is it possible ? The nation’s largest chicken producers had already begun using and promoting the “no antibiotics” label. (In 2015, Tyson adopted this label and promised that its chickens would never receive antibiotic treatment…ever. Perdue made a similar commitment.
Today, Tyson changed his policy. After the devastation caused by bird flu and other diseases, Tyson will once once more allow farmers to use antibiotics to prevent and treat sick chickens. It will only allow the use of antibiotics that are not important for human health. Perdue took advantage of this announcement to market its own products and continue its commitment to the total absence of antibiotics.
Tyson’s new position is actually better for the chickens. Although the FDA still does not allow the use of antibiotics for production, treating sick birds and preventing the spread of disease is not a bad thing! In fact, it is more inhumane to not treat animals suffering from illnesses, which is precisely the position Perdue takes. Both Tyson and Perdue took a ridiculous approach to antibiotics for marketing reasons. Tyson is just starting to realize the error of that decision.
Perdue’s hubris is remarkable. The claim that these antibiotics are harmful to humans and the environment is unfounded. Antibiotics must be eliminated from the animal’s system before slaughter. So even if you purchase and consume Tyson products, you will not consume antibiotics. When it comes to the environment, it is possible to use antibiotics responsibly.
The biggest problem is antibiotic resistance. This is why the FDA has revised its regulations to prevent the excessive use of antibiotics. This is also why animal agriculture typically uses antibiotics that are no longer used to treat humans; This minimizes the chances of bacteria developing resistance to our antibiotics. So the fact that Tyson is using these antibiotics is a good thing (and, by law, I believe they have to do it anyway)!
Perdue’s marketing campaign is absolutely disgraceful. Tyson is simply taking a nuanced stance that considers animal health, even if it doesn’t make headlines. And she does it in a way that is safe for everyone. I’m sure the Perdue guys are very proud of their , but I wouldn’t choose their products in my grocery store.
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* Source : Perdue Sells Alarmism Over Antibiotic Use – The Farmer’s Daughter USA (thefarmersdaughterusa.com)
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#Perdue #Foods #sells #scaremongering #antibiotic
