Diversion tactics: how big pharma is muddying the waters on animal antibiotics

Antibiotic use on farms is a major cause of human drug resistance. Yet slick social media campaigns - funded by the multi-billion-dollar industry - are confusing and complicating the issue

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Slick industry PR campaigns about antibiotics in food are muddying the water around a serious public health risk, say critics.

Pharmaceutical and meat companies are using similar tactics to the cigarette industry, in an attempt to confuse consumers and hold off regulation, despite the fact that the rapidly growing risk of anti-microbial resistance is one of the biggest health risks of our time. It's estimated that by 2050 10 million people might die a year because we have overused antibiotics.