Government data obtained and analyzed by Consumer Reports show trace amounts of dangerous and restricted drugs are in the American meat supply. Hundreds of samples of poultry, beef, and pork tested by the government contained drugs that should never appear in meat, from ketamine — a party drug and experimental antidepressant — to phenylbutazone — an anti-inflammatory drug deemed too risky for human use.
But America’s top food safety officials aren’t sounding the alarm, and won’t give a good reason why not. We think the government should be doing more to investigate how these drugs got into the meat in the first place. It’s time for Congress to hold the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) accountable and ensure we have proper safeguards to protect our meat supply.