Episode 67: Antibiotic Resistance in Ground Turkey Samples with Dr. Urvashi Rangan

05/05/13 • 31 min

Katy Keiffer is talking antibiotic resistance as seen in ground turkey on this week’s What Doesn’t Kill You with Dr. Urvashi Rangan. Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D. leads and directs the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports. She is responsible for managing risk analysis, policy assessments, label evaluations and consumer advice for tests, reports, and related advocacy work. Dr. Rangan serves as a primary, national spokesperson for Consumer Reports in the areas of sustainable production/consumption practices, food safety, and product safety issues related to chemical and contaminant hazards. Learn about the differences between bacteria strains found in conventional and organic, antibiotic-free ground turkey, and what it says about antibiotic resistance. Hear Dr. Rangan talk about animal welfare standards in conventional livestock agriculture, and how sub-therapeutic antibiotic usage is only the first step for better food and health. Hear what proposed legislation could curb antibiotics in the food chain. This program has been sponsored by Cain Vineyard & Winery. Thanks to Dead Stars for today’s music.

“We’re not stopping at antibiotics; we need systemic changes to conventional agriculture if we want to see any long term changes.” [21:00]

“We hope that we can treat sick animals for a long time, and sick humans, too.” [26:15]

— Dr. Urvashi Rangan on What Doesn’t Kill You

“We’re not stopping at antibiotics; we need systemic changes to conventional agriculture if we want to see any long term changes.” [21:00]

“We hope that we can treat sick animals for a long time, and sick humans, too.” [26:15]

— Dr. Urvashi Rangan on What Doesn’t Kill You

Previous Episode

Episode 66: The Way of All Flesh

What goes into meat inspection? Find out on another informative episode of “What Doesn’t Kill You”, as Katy Keiffer chats with Ted Conover, the author of five books, most recently The Routes of Man, about roads, and Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, an account of his ten months spent working as a corrections officer at New York’s Sing Sing Prison. Newjack won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2001 and was finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His other books are Whiteout: Lost in Aspen, Coyotes: A Journey Across Borders With America’s Illegal Migrants, ( and Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails With America’s Hoboes. In recent years he has taught at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and the University of Oregon. He contributes to publications including The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Virginia Quarterly Review, and many others. Most recently he published “The Way of All Flesh”, the cover story for this months Harpers Magazine about working as a USDA inspector in a meatpacking plant in Nebraska. This program was sponsored by Tabard Inn.

“They need inspectors at lots of small town slaughterhouses – these spots are not always easy to fill.” [03:00]

“The machinery is all about the interface between industry and life.” [15:00]

“The abscesses begin when the cattle’s diet changes from grass. The bacteria that results from that makes ulcers in the cattle’s stomachs and livers. The antibiotic is used to control those abscesses.” [16:00]

–author/journalist Ted Conover on What Doesn’t Kill You

Next Episode

Episode 68: Ten Years of Food Politics with Dr. Marion Nestle

Dr. Marion Nestle joins Katy Keiffer for this week’s What Doesn’t Kill You to talk about the tenth anniversary of her seminal book, Food Politics. Tune into this episode to hear Dr. Nestle and Katy talk about the inspiration for the book, and how cancer research influenced ‘the food movement’. Why is Dr. Nestle optimistic about the future of health and good food? Listen in to find out Dr. Nestle’s opinions about Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign, and why food labeling is duping consumers into believing that junk food is healthy. This program has been brought to you by Route 11 Potato Chips. Thanks to Dead Stars for today’s music.