(Iowa News Service story) – Livestock being raised with antibiotics is on the rise in Iowa, the nation’s number one hog producer. Doctors say the trend increases the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections for people who consume drug-treated meat.  Scientists have described drug-resistant infections as a growing crisis. The National Institutes of Health say the drugs are overused.  The Food Animal Concerns Trust’s Safe and Healthy Food Program Director and Senior Analyst, Steven Roach, said federal data show sales for antibiotics used in cattle and other animals is as high as it’s been in nearly a decade.

That’s especially important in Iowa. “In pigs in the U.S. – it’s up by 24%, and in cattle it’s up by 10%,” said Roach. “The chicken industry has continued to reduce their use, so it’s possible for the animal ag industry to make changes – but we haven’t seen that happen in cattle and pigs.” Data for 2024 show the use of antibiotics in chickens dropped by 50% over the last 7 years.

hog farming in iowa

In Iowa, livestock, including hogs, are mostly raised in large corporate confinements – which are known to pollute the air and nearby ground and surface water.  Confinement operators say they are trying to keep up with consumer demand for a high-quality, consistent source of meat. Roach said most of the meat available at grocery stores has been raised in confinements and treated with antibiotics.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates antibiotic-resistant infections kill at least 35,000 Americans every year. Roach said large-scale ag producers could help reduce that number by changing their philosophy of routinely using drugs in their operations. “We know we’re raising animals in unhealthy conditions,” said Roach, “so then we’re going to give them antibiotics independent of whether they’ve been diagnosed with an illness.”

Roach said meat in the grocery store that has been raised without antibiotics is identified as such on the packaging.