12—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 30, 1973
Animal Scientist Says
Feed Additives Vital
To Production of Food
“It is a real paradox that at a
time when food costs are in the
headlines almost daily, additives
used in food and the production of
food have become the target of
environmental ‘purists.’ Doing
away with various additives in
livestock production would mean
increased death loss or morbidity
in livestock, reduced total
production, and increased cost of
food derived from livestock'”
This was one of the major
thrusts of a presentation here at
Penn State last week by Dr. R L
Preston, research animal
scientist from the Ohio
Agricultural Research and
Development Center, Wooster.
Preston summed up the current
feed additive situation at the 26th
annual reciprocal meat con
ference of the American Meat
Science Association, held this
week on the campus of Penn
sylvania State University He
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documented his remarks with
research data from a number of
U S. research institutions
Preston urged that livestock
production technology, including
the use of certain additives, be
based on sound scientific and
economic considerations rather
than regulated by “legislative
impossibilities or by persons who
continually raise questions but
seldom have any answers.”
The Ohio scientist then
reviewed the 1973 feed additive
situation He said additives used
in production of meat animals
can be classified into three
categories-nutnents needed to
assure animal health and sur
vival, products which reduce
disease and parasite infestations
in livestock, and physiological
supplements
Preston chose not to dwell on
nutrients added to animals’ diets
other than to stress that these are
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necessary for deficient rations.
Even these are sometimes
questioned “Difficulties related
to the approval of selenium ad
ditions to livestock rations are an
example of the process through
which a “modern nutrient” must
pass while well-documented
livestock losses occur because of
deficiency of this nutrient,”
Preston defended the use of
antibiotics to assure livestock
health and survival and make
efficient production possible.
These have made a real and
sustained contribution to
production of pork and beef,
according to Preston.
He said that sub-therapeutic
use of antibiotics continues to
increase livestock gains and
improve feed efficiency and
health Presently seven an
tibiotics are used in the swine
industry Tissue residue data
have “established that meat
from swine fed antibiotics at
prophylactic or low levels does
not contain hazardous antibiotic
residues ”
Preston said antibiotics in
cattle can be divided into two
categones--those used on young
calves and those used on feedlot
cattle Five antibiotics are
presently cleared for use in beef
cattle feeds None has been found
to result in residues above
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established tolerances when used
at subtherapeutic or nutritional
levels „. 4 . . .
The use of antibiotics has been
questioned in recent years
because of concern over
development of resistant strains
of microorganisms which might
transfer resistance to organisms
which cause human disease.
Since livestock still respond to
antibiotic additives, Preston feels
this indicates that no real
problem of antibiotic resistance
exists. Further, he says studies in
humans have failed to show that
transfer of resistance factors has
played any significant role in
bacterial infections.
(Continued On Page 13)