There are a lot of ethics tied up with the food we eat. For some, that's why they choose a vegan diet. Others seek out things like fair trade-certified coffee or chocolate. Whether it's cage-free eggs or wild-caught salmon, there are many ways consumers can follow their conscience regarding the food they eat. In the world of fast food restaurants, some diners avoid Arby's since the chain has no policy on record about using beef raised without antibiotics.
Studies tracking their use estimate that 73% of all antimicrobials sold globally are used in animals raised for food. This enormous overuse is leading to a rise in antibiotic-resistant pathogens. For example, resistance to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, first developed in E coli bacteria which then infected pigs. E coli was later found in pig farmers. All it takes is aeroplanes and global travel networks for these pathogens to spread globally.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned in a report this week that between 2019 and 2023, bacterial infections caused by a "super bug" bacteria dubbed NDM-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (NDM-CRE) surged by more than 460% in the U.S. The NDM-CRE is a type of bacteria with a special gene that can break down powerful antibiotics rendering most drug treatments ineffective, said Shruti Gohil, associate professor of infectious diseases at UC Irvine School of Medicine.
A new study from researchers in Germany found that caffeine from coffee and other sources can reduce the effectiveness of certain antibiotics against harmful bacteria. Scientists at the Universities of Tübingen and Würzburg discovered that caffeine triggers a complex chain reaction in E. coli bacteria that makes them less susceptible to antibiotics like ciprofloxacin, a commonly prescribed fluoroquinolone used to treat urinary tract infections, pneumonia and many other bacterial infections.
