In the late 1960s, Carbodox, a new feed additive, which promoted growth in chicks, was also found to promote growth in pigs.

It is now fed to more than 40% of young pigs in the United States, not only to increase rate of growth, but to control

diarrheal disease, too. However, carbidox is also a genotoxic and mutagenic carcinogen in animals.

More than 25 years ago, the European Commission banned the use of carbodox in meat production

due to its possible adverse effects on human health, stating it is not

possible to set a threshold for genotoxic, DNA-damaging additive below which there is no risk

to the consumer, since even a small quantity could provoke a tumor-inducing mutation.

Other countries followed. Canada halted its sale more than 20 years ago,

and the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization Joint Committee on Food Additives decided there is no acceptable intake amount.

So why is a drug banned in many countries still being fed to pigs in the United States?

Well, one reason is that the drug maker has been defending carbodox

sold under the brand name Mechodox, since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration first proposed

rescinding its use based on concerns about the persistence of carcinogenic residues in meat.

And no surprise, the national pork producers oppose the FDA's proposal to ban it.

Likely because, just as the drunk company's marketing brochure says, bottom line, mechodox can help you market more pork.

And make them more money.

We're talking about more than $20 million a year with sales continuing to increase.

The pork industry claims that removing

carbodox would inevitably increase use of other antibiotics and the likelihood of antimicrobial

resistance. If it really cared about antibiotic resistance, maybe pork producers would stop

feeding millions of pounds of medically important antibiotics to pigs every year in the

United States? And carbidocks can actually activate dormant viruses that can transfer antibiotic-resistant

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