It was U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis who said that “a state may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of
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animal agriculture
Animal Agriculture Bill Gets a Civil Approach in North Carolina
There’s no crime, no unconstitutional prior restraint on taking pictures or making videos, and no deadlines for turning over evidence of animal cruelty. Indeed, the elements that raise constitutional questions about some state “ag-gag” laws…
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Critics Call White House Antibiotics Action Plan a ‘Missed Opportunity’ on Farms
The White House released its National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria on Friday, but some critics say it doesn’t do enough to tackle antibiotic use on farms. “Antibiotic resistance is one of the most…
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Starbucks to Require More Humane Animal-Welfare Standards From Suppliers
The humane treatment of farm animals won a huge public show of support last month when Starbucks announced plans to require dairy, meat, and egg products served in its coffee shops to come from suppliers…
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Three Senators Have Questions for Interagency Antibiotics Task Force
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) sent a letter Tuesday to Secretaries Chuck Hagel, Tom Vilsack and Sylvia Burwell, co-chairs of the newly formed Interagency Task Force for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant…
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Largest School Districts Going With Antibiotic-Free Chicken
On Tuesday evening, the Urban School Food Alliance announced its new antibiotic-free standard for companies to follow when supplying chicken products to its schools. The Alliance is a coalition of the largest school districts in…
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Consumers Urged to Go Antibiotic-Free With Their Thanksgiving Turkey
Public health advocates are calling on consumers to go antibiotic-free with their traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Earlier this week, the Pew Charitable Trusts posted its three reasons to buy a Thanksgiving turkey raised without antibiotics —…
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Ruling on FDA’s Oversight of Animal Antibiotic Use Called a ‘Big Blow to Public Health’
In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled Thursday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not required to hold hearings concerning the safety of feeding antibiotics…
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Cargill to Phase Out Growth-Promoting Antibiotics in Signature Turkey Brands
Cargill announced this week that it will stop using antibiotics for growth promotion in raising its turkeys. The company says the changes to its two signature brands — Honeysuckle White and Shady Brook Farms —…
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Food Safety News Readers Provide Astute Commentary on Animal Agriculture
On Oct. 28, Richard Raymond, the former Undersecretary for Food Safety at USDA, wrote a short piece about industrial agriculture, food safety, the recent Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) report about industrial …
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