Despite roxarsone withdrawal, toxic arsenic still showing up in commercial turkey meat due to similar drugs

Thursday, September 19, 2013 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Tags: arsenical drugs, poultry meat, roxarsone

(NaturalNews) It seems as though the corporate food industry is engaging in yet another sleight of hand concerning the use of harmful growth additives in factory poultry. A new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) reveals that, despite the voluntarily withdrawal by Pfizer of its arsenical drug roxarsone back in 2011, similar drugs continue to quietly be used in both factory chicken and turkey meat, which may be exposing the public to elevated levels of inorganic arsenic (iAs).

As you might recall, the issue of arsenical drugs in factory poultry came to a head back in 2011 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the results of a study that it conducted, revealing that roxarsone-treated poultry contains significantly higher levels of iAs than untreated poultry. IAs is, of course, a known human carcinogen that accumulates in human tissue and impairs proper endothelial cell growth.

After this study was published, little was done in the way of actually regulating roxarsone -- the FDA, being a lapdog to the pharmaceutical industry, naturally did nothing about the findings. But word got out about roxarsone, and Pfizer quickly and vocally pulled it off the market, leading the public to believe that conventional chicken products were now safe.

But nothing could be further from the truth, as roxarsone is not the only arsenical drug currently on the market. According to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, a drug similar to roxarsone is still being used not only in conventional chickens but also in conventional turkeys.

"Although sale of roxarsone remains suspended in the United States, nitarsone, a chemically similar arsenical drug, continues to be sold," explains the study. "Industry statements in the media have confirmed nitarsone use in the turkey industry, and the USDA estimates of per capita turkey consumption are increasing."

Numerous studies verify arsenical chemicals still being used in virtually all conventional poultry products

Another recent study, also published in EHP, revealed this fact as well, noting a New York Times article published back in May that discussed the issue of nitarsone. Like roxarsone, nitarsone directly contributes to the accumulation of unseen iAs in both chicken and turkey meat, which makes it at least equally as threatening as roxarsone with regards to public health.

"In the absence of regulations that limit inorganic arsenic in our foods, the banning of arsenic-based drugs would minimize dietary arsenic exposures in poultry consumers," concludes the new study, echoing a sentiment felt by millions of Americans who now realize the FDA needs to take immediate action on the matter.

The Alliance for Natural Health USA, a prominent activist group that closely aligns with the purpose and mission of NaturalNews, has created an online petition that urges the FDA to withdraw approval for both arsenical drugs and antibiotics in poultry. Such drugs only benefit the corporate food industry by quickly bulking up animals, while at the same time putting public health at risk.

You can read and sign this petition here:
http://www.anh-usa.org

The Center for Food Safety, along with nearly a dozen other advocacy groups, has also filed a lawsuit against the FDA for failing to protect the people by banning both antibiotics and arsenic in poultry feed. You can read about this complaint here:
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org

Sources for this article include:

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov

http://www.anh-usa.org

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org

http://science.naturalnews.com