Cargill plans to reduce by 20% the use of antibiotics in cattle in the United States

Cargill plans to reduce by 20% the use of antibiotics in beef cattle in the United States, in one of the most significant steps announced so far among meat processors.
The company, the largest privately held agribusiness company, said it intends to withdraw the use of these medicines of the diet of 1.2 million head of cattle per year. The company had previously announced similar measures for the production of turkeys, a bird very appreciated in the u.s. market.
The actions occur in the wake of more pressure from part of science class and civil society in the face of growing and worrying cases of resistance to bacteria that the widespread use of antibiotics in food chain would be provoking.
"We listen to our customers and we take this first step, and we believe that there will be new measures to be taken in a future not so far away," said John Keating, President of Cargill''s meats segment.
U.s. chicken producers are among the most advanced in attempts to reduce the doses of antibiotics offered to animals through feed. Those drugs have prophylactic effect — to avoid that animals get sick, what hurt growth and slaughter.
Cargill intends to reduce the use of medicines in their own units for fattening of animals in Texas, Kansas and Colorado. According to the company, the Friona Industries, which holds four other units of fattening of animals provides the Cargill, also will follow the steps of the multinational.