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Protesters picket fast-food restaurants
Bangor Daily News ^ | Friday, May 23, 2003 | NANCY JACOBSON

Posted on 05/23/2003 4:19:07 PM PDT by ozone1

NANCY JACOBSON, OF THE NEWS STAFF
Last updated: Friday, May 23, 2003

Protesters picket fast-food restaurants

Ten people representing the Maine People's Alliance took to the sidewalks in front of Burger King and McDonald's on Main Street in Bangor Thursday waving supersized "pill burgers" to illustrate what they claim is the "massive overuse of antibiotics in food animals."They were joined by Michael Khoo, an organizer from the Washington, D.C., office of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

"Hey, hey, ho, ho, drugs in meat have got to go," demonstrators chanted as the noontime rush of traffic passed.

Khoo said his concern is that the overuse of antibiotics in food can cause the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria leading to the reduced effectiveness of antibiotics in humans.

Large companies, which are powerful consumers, have helped to create this industrial food system that relies on large amounts of antibiotics, he added. Animals are raised in crowded, unhealthy conditions to create a low-cost product and, as a result, need these drugs to stay healthy. Antibiotics also are used to promote efficient use of feed, he said.

Kristen Patterson, McDonald's spokesperson in Portland, said, "McDonald's meets or exceeds rigorous USDA standards with respect to food quality and safety. ... The FDA is charged with the regulatory responsibility of ensuring that the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals does not result in adverse health consequences to humans."

Jessie Graham, a community organizer with Maine People's Alliance, said, "We are working on federal legislation as well." He said Burger King and McDonald's make up 61 percent of the fast-food meat market and "are the biggest purchasers of factory-farmed cattle. We are calling on them to use consumer power and work with suppliers to change things. We have seen that they are responsive to public pressure in the past," referring to changes McDonald's has made to its packaging and how their suppliers slaughter animals.

Sen. Olympia Snowe's office said she is considering co-sponsoring a bill with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., that would ban the use of nontherapeutic antibiotics in farm animals. She has requested a study by the General Accounting Office to review domestic and international policy on this issue.

The issue may be less significant with cattle than with swine and poultry. Gary Weber, executive director of regulatory affairs at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, said cattle are not mass medicated with antibiotics used in humans. Antibiotics are prescribed as needed.

Khoo agreed the bulk of the 13 million pounds of antibiotics a Union of Concerned Scientists study estimates are given to farm animals are given to poultry and swine, not cattle. The use of chicken and bacon at both fast-food chains makes this an issue, he says. He cited a study in the New England Journal of Medicine that found 20 percent of chickens studied were contaminated with salmonella, and of those bacteria, 84 percent were resistant to one antibiotic.



Eric Proctor of Orrington joins several others during a protest in front of McDonald's and Burger King in Bangor to encourage the reduction of antibiotics in the production of meat they serve (BDN Photo by Linda Coan O'Kresik).


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; US: Maine
KEYWORDS: beef; mainefruitcakes; mcdonalds
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I guess fruit loops are ok.

Gee wiz, look what Olympia is actually supporting.

1 posted on 05/23/2003 4:19:08 PM PDT by ozone1
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To: metesky; Madame Dufarge; SheLion
Your buddies are at it again. See what our tax dollars are supporting?
2 posted on 05/23/2003 4:20:08 PM PDT by ozone1 (Partnership for a Liberal-Free Maine)
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To: ozone1
These freaks can have my Jack In The Box Ultimate Cheeseburger when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

Which, at the rate I eat 'em, shouldn't be too long a wait. <|:)~

3 posted on 05/23/2003 4:26:44 PM PDT by martin_fierro (A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
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To: martin_fierro
I think Mr Proctor (picture above) has been eating too many trans fatty acids.
4 posted on 05/23/2003 4:31:43 PM PDT by ozone1 (Partnership for a Liberal-Free Maine)
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To: ozone1
I guess fruit loops are ok.

Well, maybe. But keep in mind: You are what you eat.

5 posted on 05/23/2003 4:32:06 PM PDT by templar
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To: templar
Oh no, they contain genetically modified vegetable matter.
6 posted on 05/23/2003 4:32:54 PM PDT by ozone1 (Partnership for a Liberal-Free Maine)
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To: ozone1
Now what was that song by the group Styx?????

Oh, yeah..... "Too Much Time on My Hands". Wonder what made me think of that?
7 posted on 05/23/2003 4:33:40 PM PDT by JSteff (What part of "shall not be infringed" don't they understand?)
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To: ozone1
Mc Donalds should have offered free Big Mac's, for all who got in line within five minutes-end of protest.
8 posted on 05/23/2003 4:35:11 PM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (Seems to be a hellovalot of confusion out there of late, about whose government this is.)
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To: ozone1
Ten people representing the Maine People's Alliance

Well, one of them came to our front door a couple of years ago (our neighbor across the street, knowing our political bent directed him to us.) I think the Campaign du Jour was the "mercury poisoning" by Holtra Chem.

One of us (probably me) dragged him into the house, shoved a copy of the U. S. Constitution into his face and held him captive for about half an hour.

When queried on any of the specifics of his particular grievance, he was predictably vague."The poison is in the dose" argument seemed to be a really vexing one to him.

He wore a red kerchief on his head, just to drive the point home.

9 posted on 05/23/2003 4:35:33 PM PDT by Madame Dufarge
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To: ozone1
For those who are interested in UCS and other enviro/food/etc pressure groups: there's lots of good background info at www.activistcash.com. (Sorry, I'm 'net challenged and don't know how to post the link.)
10 posted on 05/23/2003 4:36:12 PM PDT by whinecountry (Semper Ubi Sub Ubi)
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To: ozone1
...Michael Khoo...

What's that? If I step in it can I get it off my shoes?

11 posted on 05/23/2003 4:38:43 PM PDT by SquirrelKing ("Life is too important to be taken seriously" - Oscar Wilde)
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To: whinecountry
Good resource, I added it to my bookmarks, thanx

http://www.activistcash.com/
12 posted on 05/23/2003 4:41:00 PM PDT by ozone1 (Partnership for a Liberal-Free Maine)
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To: ozone1
When the commies complete their take over of Maine, come over to NH, I have some Lit and Polish dishes, along with some of my grannies stuff from the "Old" West, not low fat.

Bill

13 posted on 05/23/2003 4:41:32 PM PDT by Little Bill (No Rats, A.N.S.W.E.R (WWP) is a commie front!!!!,)
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To: Madame Dufarge
Out in the country, we prefer sittin, rockin, smoking our cigs with a shotgun on our laps, eating Take out chinese food, cause we can't smoke in the restaraunt anymore.

Them useful idiots won't come within a mile of us.
14 posted on 05/23/2003 4:43:04 PM PDT by ozone1 (Partnership for a Liberal-Free Maine)
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To: Little Bill
Y'know I now regret selling my tar paper shack in the White Mountains (Passaconaway).
15 posted on 05/23/2003 4:44:19 PM PDT by ozone1 (Partnership for a Liberal-Free Maine)
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To: JSteff
"Jessie Graham, a community organizer with Maine People's Alliance"

I wonder if they pay him a "living wage" with benefits or is he waiting for Baldacci's Dirigo Helath plan to kick in?
16 posted on 05/23/2003 4:49:20 PM PDT by ozone1 (Partnership for a Liberal-Free Maine)
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To: ozone1
Who would you fight with? The Contitiution demands that every citizen take responibility for his government, aside from "Fosters Daily Communist" I have to go to Mass to get really pissed off.
17 posted on 05/23/2003 4:53:48 PM PDT by Little Bill (No Rats, A.N.S.W.E.R (WWP) is a commie front!!!!,)
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To: Little Bill
We had fun with the neighbors, they didn't like our batchelor parties up there (Football helmut for the groom's safety and saran wrap to keep him in place). And then there was the time we invited the frat up for the weekend..... Thank god one of the participants had a 3 numbered license plate from NH.
18 posted on 05/23/2003 5:06:09 PM PDT by ozone1 (Partnership for a Liberal-Free Maine)
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To: ozone1
let's not forget the unmetabolized artificially introduced growth(and possibly others)hormones in the animals'feed/bloodstream/carcasses-do you really trust the gubmint's inspection standards and enforcement practices?!
19 posted on 05/23/2003 5:18:11 PM PDT by 1234 (Border Control or IMPEACHMENT)
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To: 1234
Actually no, That's why I have Sir Chuck over in the barn, He should be ready in October.
20 posted on 05/23/2003 5:23:08 PM PDT by ozone1 (Partnership for a Liberal-Free Maine)
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