[Digestion] Environmentalists Anti-AD Issues

[James Fidell]

On 16/06/11 13:14, Duncan Martin wrote:

> And even if the info is sound, it might well be specific to a particular
> farm with odd local conditions or feed sources - or perhaps a specific
> medication added to the feed. I'm no expert on chickens but arsenic (at
> above trace background levels) doesn't sound like a likely feed additive.
> Would the chickens be fit to eat?

It's well documented (and commonly used where legislation allows, I
believe) as a chicken feed additive to promote faster growth and to
combat coccidiosis.  Roxarsone is one of the trade names used.  I know
various feed producers have undertaken to remove it from their feed, but
until recently it's quite likely that most of the chicken sold for
human consumption in the US had arsenic-based feed additives.

I believe there was some research done last year by the USDA that
demonstrated the presence of arsenic in chicken being sold for human
consumption, but I've not seen any genuinely independent confirmation
of that.

It's not uncommon for animals to be fed such things.  For example,
copper is also toxic at relatively low levels, but copper compounds were
commonly fed to pigs (as growth promoters IIRC).  Like arsenic I believe
they're also banned in the EU now -- certainly in the UK.

James