By Truman Lewis
ConsumerAffairs.com
November 19, 2007
Tyson Foods, the world's largest meat processor, has spent tens of millions of dollars this year advertising that its chickens are "raised without antibiotics."
But, like Kmart's lead-laden "lead-free" jewelry, Tyson's chicken products will have to change their labels.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says it made a mistake back in May when it approved the Tyson labeling. The decision is a big blow to Tyson, which has staked its brand's reputation on the no-antibiotics claim.
The controversy revolves around medications added to poultry feed to keep chickens from getting intestinal infections that can cause weight loss and death in poultry.
The medication -- ionophores -- is not technically an antibiotic, Tyson said, insisting it's really an antimicrobial.
But in a letter to Tyson, USDA said its longstanding policy is that "ionophores are antibiotics," The Wall Street Journal reported.
Tyson claims the USDA has known all along that it was using ionophores but senior government officials said they only learned of it recently.
The USDA has given Tyson 45 days to change its labels but Tyson says it will be submitting a new label application. It wants its modified label to explain that ionophores can't cause antibiotic resistance in humans.
That's because ionophores are fully metabolized by the chickens before they are slaughtered and wrapped in plastic, the company said.
