Alli Tepperberg's List: Drugs in Food + Good

Animal antibiotics [Internet]. Washington, D.C.: Animal Health Institute; 2013 [cited 2013 Nov 4]. Available from: http://www.ahi.org/issues-advocacy/animal-antibiotics/

This particular web article describes the benefits of using antibiotics in the food industry, and the little known facts that are associated with it. This website has many advantages because there are specific articles titled "Benefits of Antibiotics," "Fact or Fiction: Common Antibiotic Myths," and a section for "Frequently Asked Questions." This allows the reader to explore different pages to explain how antibiotics is important for the food industry, as well as disprove common misconceptions about these drugs.

This article is very beneficial because there are not many articles that explain the advantages of antibiotics. Much of the information about using antibiotics for animals are harsh statements that try to misconstrue the reader; however, this reference is able to confirm the falsification of facts in other citations. This website is one of the most useful websites, because it has many different areas within the it that help disprove common misinformation about antibiotics. The "Fact or Fiction" article is extremely valuable because it states specific facts that previous articles believe are true and this article states as fiction. By using an article that describes the benefits to antibiotics, one can disprove information found in the later citations, therefore making the topic more debatable.

Raymond R. Antibiotics and animals raised for food: lies, damn lies and statistics [Internet]. Seattle (WA): Food Safety News; 2013 [cited 2013 Nov 4]. Available from: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/01/antibiotics-and-animals-raised-for-food-lies-damn-lies-and-statistics/#.UnHWSCOb0Sj

This resource is an opinionated article in which the author speaks directly to the audience in an informal tone about jumping to conclusions when it comes to antibiotics in the food system. The author starts by attacking the public's "lack of detailed knowledge about the use of antibiotics in animals raised for food." In this article, as well as other previously cited resources, there are similar disproved facts that are commonly misconstrued by the general public. The informal tone of this article allows the author to use logic to disprove facts as well, for example the author describes how "a 2,500 pound prize bull with pneumonia is going to be treated with a much larger dosage of an antibiotic than an 8-pound newborn with the same bacterial infection." Overall, the author of this article can disprove lesser-known facts based on his doctorial knowledge in the field.

Considering the evidence from all of the resources, there needs to be one more article describing why the antibiotics in food should be considered beneficial and is judged poorly by the general public. This article is particularly helpful for the research paper, because of the anecdotal evidence he disproves based on logical knowledge. The problem with this article is the short amount of time he spends discussing the benefits of antibiotics compared to the rest of the article. There is not much that the author has to say about the benefits, except for the first few short paragraphs. However, this article was published in 2013, and may depict the current knowledge and views that people are beginning to see within the food industry. This could infer that the articles published before 2010 may be outdated, and people are finally seeing that the use of antibiotics in livestock could actually be more helpful than harmful.

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Zobell D, Chapman C, Heaton K, Birkelo C. Beef cattle implants. Utah State University Extension [Internet]. 2000 [cited 2013 Nov 4]; 509: 1-9. Available from: http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/extension_histall/29

This academic article specifically highlights the action of implanting animals, primarily cattle, with growth promoting hormones. The article discusses the "Mechanism of Action," "Implant Performance," and "Implant Use," as well as many other subheadings of information. The authors continuously describe the safety of implanting animals with growth hormones, insisting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of growth promoting implants. The idea that implanting animals with these growth hormones is FDA approved is very important because it directly contradicts previously cited articles that describe the dangers of growth enhancing hormones. This resource also gives lists of available implants that are on the market for buyers, as well as "Implant Strategies," and recommendations for procedures. Overall, this article gives great detail about the uses, benefits, side effects, and practice of growth promoting implants in cattle for commercial use.

The most useful information within this article are the benefits of using growth-enhancing implants. Compared to previously cited references, there are no stated advantages about the utilization of hormones within the food industry. However, this online academic article gives a seemingly objective outlook on the use of hormonal implants for cattle. This indifferent perspective directly contradicts previously cited resources, which creates an interesting debate about whether or not the implants are generally beneficial or harmful. This controversy adds to the ongoing discussion about the harmful versus beneficial effects of additives within the food industry.