Some antibiotics with your vegetables?

• Author: Nierenberg, Danielle
• Position: Research - Brief Article

Residues from animal antibiotics are cropping up not just in chicken, pork, beef, and other animal products, but also in vegetables, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that spreading the raw manure from animals treated with antibiotics on industrial vegetable plots can cause produce like corn, cabbage, and green onions to absorb those drugs.

Antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals are often mixed into animal feed to promote growth and prevent diseases that might result from animal crowding in filthy conditions. The animals don't use all the antibiotics, however, and substantial amounts are excreted in urine and feces and end up in manure. As a result, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, consumers may unknowingly be consuming antibiotics when they eat vegetables.

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The accumulation of antibiotics in...