Fear the food! Maple Leaf Foods pays influencers to mislead, fear-monger about farming practices

"“more than 80 per cent of antibiotics in Canada are used in animal farming.” It is a classic example of fear-based marketing aimed at influencing food purchase decisions, while misrepresenting a how farming and veterinary medicine actually work."

"The cornerstone of the campaign-the claim that 80 per cent of all antibiotics in Canada are used in animal farming- is a sales volume statistic that fails to account for the different classes of antimicrobials and how they are used on farms, with heavy restrictions on the types that are most important for human health."

"The influencers also repeatedly claim that antibiotics are used preventatively on “healthy animals,” implying a reckless, blanket application of drugs. This ignores the Pan-Canadian Framework on Antimicrobial Resistance. Since 2018, it has been illegal in Canada to use Medically Important Antimicrobials (MIAs) for growth promotion, which is what is being suggested in the campaign."

A social media campaign uses parent and health-style influencers to raise anxiety that antibiotics may not work for children. The campaign links antibiotic effectiveness to animal farming and urges food purchase decisions based on fear. It promotes chicken under a “Raised Without Antibiotics” label. The central claim that more than 80% of antibiotics in Canada are used in animal farming is presented as a simple volume statistic without accounting for different antimicrobial classes and their farm uses. The campaign also implies antibiotics are given preventatively to healthy animals. Canadian rules since 2018 prohibit using medically important antimicrobials for growth promotion, and veterinary oversight is required for administering these products to animals.

Read at Realagriculture