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TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT. "Vegetables such as corn, potatoes and lettuce absorb antibiotics when grown in soil fertilized with livestock manure, according to tests conducted at the University of Minnesota. People have long been exposed to antibiotics in meat and milk. Now, the new research shows that they also may be ingesting them from vegetables, perhaps even ones grown on organic farms." http://lnkd.in/dtwQkMM View in LinkedIn

ANTIBIOTIC MANURE USED AS FERTILIZER IN US. "Around 90 percent of these drugs that are administered to animals end up being excreted either as urine or manure. A vast majority of that manure is then used as an important input for 9.2 million hectares of (U.S.) agricultural land." http://lnkd.in/dtwQkMM View in LinkedIn

NOT QUITE A CONSENSUS VIEW. "Our gut already contains ... bacteria carrying resistances to kanamycin and ampicillin ... (The) antibiotic marker genes in GM crops. There is a huge reservoir of ampicillin resistance genes in soil and these can be readily transmitted to gut bacteria. Current medical opinion is that the antibiotic markers used in ... crops do not pose any infectious disease risk." http://lnkd.in/dQZFyGp View in LinkedIn

US CONSUMERS UNAWARE OF ANTIBIOTICS ON FRUIT. "An online survey of nearly 1,000 people conducted by The Consumer Reports National Research Center found that more than 80 percent of the respondents said they either didn’t think (68 percent) or didn’t know (17 percent) that antibiotics are used to treat disease in apple and pear trees." http://lnkd.in/dfYfG9y View in LinkedIn

IS A LOW RISK ENOUGH? "We conclude that, although fragments of DNA large enough to contain an antibiotic-resistance gene may survive in the environment, the barriers to transfer, incorporation, and transmission are so substantial that any contribution to antibiotic resistance made by GM plants must be overwhelmed by the contribution made by antibiotic prescription in clinical practice." http://lnkd.in/dPz5wQq View in LinkedIn

ORGANIC CAN MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS. "Europeans and Canadians Enjoy Antibiotic-Free Organic Apples and Pears, So Why Can’t We?" Once again, standards for even the best food differ in both sides of the Atlantic. http://www.anh-usa.org/antibiotics-organic-apple-pear/ View in LinkedIn

US SUPERMARKET FOODS ARE STRONGLY GMO. "Currently, up to 85% of U.S. corn is genetically engineered (GE), as are 91% of soybeans and 88% of cotton (cottonseed oil is often used in food products). It has been estimated that upwards of 75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves – from soda to soup, crackers to condiments – contain genetically engineered ingredients." http://lnkd.in/dJz75jb View in LinkedIn

EXPORT TO EU REQUIRES ANTIBIOTIC FREE CERTIFICATION. "In Washington state, the nation’s leading producer of organic apples and pears, about 20 percent of orchards are antibiotic free. For our growers to export to Europe, they have to prove they haven’t used antibiotics for three years. If ... they have to use an antibiotic, they can still sell their products as certified organic in the U.S." http://lnkd.in/dfYfG9y View in LinkedIn

US GMOs ON THE MARKET. "The majority of genetically engineered plants - corn, canola, soybean, and cotton - are typically used to make ingredients that are then used in other food products ... include cornstarch in soups and sauces, corn syrup ... and cottonseed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil." With voluntary labeling supported by the FDA. http://lnkd.in/dJDYeCj View in LinkedIn

US FRUITS ARE SPRAYED WITH ANTIBIOTICS acting as pesticides, particularly pears (30-41%), apples (5-19%), and peaches (8%). The threat of lateral gene transfer of antibiotic resistant genes is very real, making this ongoing practice quite controversial. http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/php/review/antibiotic/ View in LinkedIn