The U.S. Department of Agriculture has informed Tyson Foods that it had mistakenly overlooked a feed additive--called ionophores-- when it approved a label that say its fresh chicken is "raised
without antibiotics."
Tyson claims that ionophores are not antibiotics, and that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not consider them antibiotics "We stand by the truthfulness
of our product labels and remain fully committed to our Raised Without Antibiotics chicken program," the company says in a statement. The world's largest meat processor says it has been in discussions
with the USDA since at least September about the label it introduced this summer in a major marketing campaign.
Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson says the company plans to submit for USDA
approval a new label that still says "raised without antibiotics" but adds some qualifying language about ionophores. The additional wording will state that no ingredients have been used that could
create antibiotic resistance in humans.
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