Source: Doug Powell, 785-317-0560, dpowell@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/media/mediaguide/bios/powellbio.html
Web sites: http://www.icuacp.beefcattleinstitute.org/ and
http://www.beefcattleinstitute.org
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-6415, bbohn@k-state.edu

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

K-STATE FOOD SAFETY EXPERT TO DISCUSS COMMUNICATING RISK WHEN IT COMES TO THE USE OF ANTIMICROBIALS IN CATTLE PRODUCTION

MANHATTAN -- The use of antimicrobials in cattle, which includes antibiotics, is an important issue for all involved in food production from the farm to the fork, according to a Kansas State University food safety expert who will be among the speakers at K-State's upcoming International Conference on the Use of Antimicrobials in Cattle Production.

Organized by K-State's Beef Cattle Institute, the conference will be May 27-29 at the K-State Student Union. Its purpose is to inform consumers, producers and veterinarians about the use of antimicrobials in cattle production.

K-State's Doug Powell is an associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine. Powell, a food scientist, is creator of the International Food Safety Network, an online repository of food-safety related information. The network is a collection of individuals who seek to reduce the burden of foodborne illness and find innovative ways to compel everyone in the food safety system, including individual producers, retail employees and consumers, to acknowledge and adopt best practices to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Powell will discuss the need to better communicate the risks and benefits of antimicrobial use when it comes to food safety.

"The use of antimicrobials in food production remains controversial," Powell said. "Several food producers and fast-food outlets actively market their products as antibiotic-free. However, the prudent and responsible use of antimicrobials contributes to a safe, healthy and cost-effective food supply. Farmers, processors and others in the farm-to-fork food safety system need to refocus their consumer marketing efforts on providing microbiologically safe food."

More information on K-State's International Conference on the Use of Antimicrobials in Cattle Production, including how to register and a schedule of events, is available at http://www.icuacp.beefcattleinstitute.org