What's In Your Meat?

A new study from Translational Genomics Research Institute in Arizona has found that almost half of the meat found in U.S. grocery stores is contaminated with high levels of bacteria. Meat was sampled from 26 grocery stores all over the United States, and tests showed high levels of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that causes food-borne illness in thousands of Americans every year, and even some deaths. The study also found that 96% of the meat with Staph bacteria was resistant to antibiotics. Turkey was the most resistant, followed by pork, beef, and chicken. The cause for this resistance is directly related to antibiotic use in the food that is fed to these factory farmed animals. Dr. Lance Price, a researcher on the study, said that this antibiotic resistance in meat is one of the biggest threats to public health, and an issue that should not be taken lightly.