Hormones in food - Antibiotic food |
Now a days with every agri business claiming one thing after another, the hormone issue is one fraught with confusion. While the government has acknowledged the rBST growth hormone to be of concern, they fail to recognize the implications of other so called "natural" growth hormones used and still taught to farmers today. The most humorous blogs/websites are put up by the government, filled with hypocritical statements like
there has been no evidence that has shown that animals treated with growth hormones are a threat to human health.
And on the same page write
Reducing exposure with your food intake
Although growth hormones and antibiotics are considered safe for food production in Canada , consider the following tips to reduce your exposure to these additives:
- Organic foods have fewer traces of antibiotics than non-organic foods.
- Since beef cattle are the only animals that contains growth hormones, consider choosing organic beef instead of conventional beef when you can.
- Thoroughly wash all vegetables and fruit for thirty seconds under running tap water to minimize the intake of antibiotics.
This is all off of the (eat right ontario) website located here
http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Farming-Food-production/Hormones-and-antibiotics-in-food-production.aspx
And if you would like to look at the alberta agriculture and rural development page, you will clearly see what is being used and taught to "farmers", why they use it and there so called "benefits" in production.
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/beef11691#Introduction
Growth hormones in food |
Whether or not these "farmers" are required to state they have used "natural" or synthetic hormones is a whole other question. This should be brought up any time you speak to a farmer, be informed, if you feel any type of pull back or beating around the bush, say thank you and walk away. People who practice good farming methods are happy to talk about what they grow with ( I know I am ).
The old time farmers from the industrial age are lost in a world of herbicides/pesticides/ growth hormones/antibiotics/ and petroleum. IMO This should not be called farming, this is a disgrace to the name. All it has done is wrecked our land, seeds and health, giving rise to corporations like Monsanto and Dow chemical.
Farmers?? you dont deserve the name.
This post will be more towards growth hormones with a follow up on antibiotic use.