Indiana farmers and consumers will be interested in an upcoming feature on the CBS Evening News. News anchor Katie Couric is also the reporter on the story about antibiotic use in pork and poultry production. The expected two part report begins Wednesday night.
Wabash pork producer and Immediate Past President of the Indiana Pork Producers, Randy Curless, is one of many in the industry concerned about what the CBS message within the story will ultimately be. He doesn’t believe there is much historically to suggest this will be a balanced report but says consumers should watch anyway.
“You really need to know that these news broadcasts are more towards sensationalism, ratings, and viewership than they are a balanced, true story. So I believe it will be a whole lot more of an editorial view than the balanced story. So watch it, and then you need to seek out what I say is the other side or the whole story by yourself.”
The CBS promotional script suggests a premise for the story that antibiotics for treating animals are making it all the way to consumer plates. Curless says that’s not an accurate assertion. “The FDA and our industry have developed withdrawal times that have proven to be very safe and I think producers are following those. I feel like that is not an accurate depiction of what we are seeing.”
Wednesday night Couric asks how antibiotics go from the farm, to the meat counter, to having an adverse affect on humans. Again Curless questions the premise. He told HAT, “I am not aware of any adverse affects in reality. What I am aware of is some of the allegations that have been made, and we’ve been reading about this for years and years.”
click here to download mp3
Reports are that Couric and CBS also interviewed FDA Deputy Commissioner Joshua Sahrfstein and National Pork Board's Assistant Vice President for Science and Technology Dr. Liz Wagstrom.
The National Pork Producers Council’s Dave Warner says feedback from the producers suggest the segments will be highly critical of livestock and poultry production.
The National Pork Board has been working with CBS to provide insight and information on antimicrobial use and modern pork production. Cindy Cunningham, NPB's vice president of media relations, says “We know that the topic of antibiotics will continue to be a significant issue and we want to be sure there's good, accurate information out there.”
Source : Hoosier Ag Today