Arsenic In Chicken

Just like other industrially farmed animals, chicken receive their fair share of growth-promoting anti-bacterial compounds in their feed, on a daily basis. The aim is to prevent infections and diseases, which are an inevitable consequence of the living conditions in industrial farming operations. Arsenic-based vet drugs are among the most commonly used for commercially raised poultry; they speed up weight gain, control intestinal parasites and infections, extend life span and make the meat pinker.

However, arsenic is a notorious poisoning substance, and its inorganic form is a recognized carcinogen (causes cancer).

FDA’s role

Roxarsone is an arsenic drug used extensively in poultry (and hog) feed since the 1940s. It is manufactured and sold by a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc., called Zoetis, a successor of the original producer Alpharma LLC. In 2011 the FDA found that chicken eating Roxarsone had inorganic arsenic (carcinogenic) residues in their liver and Pfizer voluntarily suspended the sales of the drug (1). A study conducted at the John Hopkins University, with chicken samples purchased before Roxarsone was suspended, found that inorganic arsenic is not restricted to the liver, but is also detected in breast meat as well. However, FDA did not withdraw its approval to market the drug in the U.S, which means that Pfizer can still sell Roxarsone in the future, although the company has promised not to do so without consulting with the FDA first. The specific drug is banned in the European Union, classified as toxic and dangerous for the environment. According to the NY Times, Roxarsone is still approved for use in 14 more countries, including Canada and Australia (3).​

Official reports from the NCBI public database of chemical substances confirm that when arsenic is given orally (as it is in poultry), a large amount is excreted in the excrements of the animals (4). There are two problems associated with this fact. Firstly, chicken faeces are often included in the feed of commercially raised beef. Therefore the arsenic toxic load remains in the food chain, but is now transferred to another branch of industrially produced food. But even if chicken faeces are not fed to other animals and is simply “disposed”, arsenic still contaminates the environment and especially aquatic ecosystems and organisms.

Naturally, the use of arsenic-based drugs in poultry and industrial farming in general has raised several health concerns. It may seem as common sense that any drug leaving arsenic residues in animal products should never be approved, but the regulating authorities have a different opinion. As of September 2013, FDA denied a petition from the Center for Food Safety and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy that asked the agency to take steps to revoke the approvals of four arsenic-based animal drugs, including Roxarsone (5).

Imported arsenic

Although the use of these drugs, and more specifically Roxarsone, is effectively restricted and controlled in the US at the moment, these toxic substances are still officially approved and their use could be easily resumed in the future without red tape delays. The denial to revoke the existing approvals for arsenic-based drugs certainly looks as if a door is left open for the future. Unfortunately, Roxarsone is still approved and widely used in 14 other countries, which could be easily exporting arsenic-tainted chickens as we speak. The undisclosed origin of the meat in popular processed products, such as chicken nuggets or ready-made meals, can raise several questions and doubts regarding the healthfulness and safety of the raw ingredients.

So, if we have been eating chickens containing arsenic since the 40s, what is next? This well-documented story can make any conscious consumer wonder what could be the next surprising “ingredient” of animal feed that we will be accidentally informed of. The reality is that as long as animals are industrially farmed in confinement and forced to live unnatural lives, they will need a cocktail of chemical substances to stay alive. Transparency is a critical “ingredient” of our food, which allows us the exercise the fundamental right to choose healthy and nutritious food for ourselves and the people we love and care for.

Originally posted at: http://eatosophy.org/arsenic-in-chicken/

References

1. FDA. 2011. FDA Press release. Available online at: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm258342.htm
2. John Hopkins Public Health. 2013. Arsenic and chicken feed. Available online at: http://magazine.jhsph.edu/2013/spring/news-briefs/arsenic-and-chicken-feed/
3. Harris G. and Grady D. 2011. Pfizer suspends sales of chicken drug with arsenic. Available online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/09/business/09arsenic.html?_r=0
4. PubChem. Roxarsone. Available online at: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=5104&loc=ec_rcs
5. FDA. 2013. FDA Response to Citizen Petition on Arsenic-based Animal Drugs. Available online at: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm370568.htm

In collaboration with Eleni Roumeliotou, a clinical nutritionist, geneticist and founder of Primal Baby.