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STOP Wants to Keep Antibiotics Working

Did you know that antibiotic use in animal agriculture is linked to bacterial infections resistant to antibiotics in people? We know that the over prescription of antibiotics for humans reduces their effectiveness in curing bacterial infections when people get sick. More recently evidence has been mounting that feeding antibiotics to farm animals has led to an increase in antibiotic resistant foodborne illnesses from Campylobacter and Salmonella. For example, the recent ground turkey recall was due to contamination by an antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella. Health experts have called the rise in antibiotic resistance a “public health crisis.” Everyone is at risk from antibiotic-resistant infections, but children, seniors, and people with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable.

STOP has been committed to preventing illness and death from foodborne pathogens, including antibiotic resistant ones. STOP believes that everyone deserves safe food, and that includes food that isn’t contaminated with antibiotic resistant bacteria STOP is a long time participant with KAW - Keep Antibiotics Working: The Campaign to End Antibiotic Overuse.
 

STOP Rallies to Declare Non-O157 Strains of E. coli Adulterants

STOP Members and Staff rallied before the USDA headquarters to demonstrate the need to declare additional strains of E. coli as adulterants in meat. Tables with pictures, stories and artifacts of those sickened and killed by non-O157 strains of E. coli were displayed. Participants handed out fliers to hundreds of people on how they can help protect themselves, and on what the USDA to do more to protect them. Later that day, the group met with USDA officials to discuss declaring the additional strains of E. coli as adulterants.

Lobby Days for The Food Safety Modernization Act

In 2009 and 2010, STOP brought several individuals and families impacted by foodborne illness to DC to tell their stories, and to educate Senators on the need for FDA food safety reform. Countless more took action by calling and writing their Senators and Congressmen, visiting them in their local offices and by blogging about the issues. Thanks to STOP’s member advocates, food safety modernization legislation passed the house in June of 2009 and the H.E.L.P. committee in November of 2009. The bill passed the senate in December of 2010, and was signed into law on January 4, 2010