Antibiotics Rejected For Fire Blight On Organic Apples, Pears

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) rejected a petition Thursday to extend the expiration date for the use of oxytetracycline to treat fire blight in apple and pear production beyond Oct. 21, 2014. According to a joint statement from Consumers Union, Food & Water Watch, and The Center for Food Safety, the decision is a victory for the organic standard and advances efforts to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics.

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The vote came after a long and controversial debate because some apple and pear growers do not believe they have adequate alternatives to antibiotics. Consumer and environmental advocates urged them to end the use of tetracycline as soon as possible in order to meet consumer expectations and to respond to mounting evidence that antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a serious threat to public health. Antibiotics are not allowed in any other types of organic food, including production of organic livestock.

“We applaud the Board for making the right decision to end the use of this antibiotic as soon as possible and we believe this timeline for ending the use of tetracycline is consistent with consumer expectations,” the statement read. “This decision will drive the organic apple and pear market to a higher standard.”

The statement concluded: “We urge the USDA to help growers continue to find workable alternative treatments for fire blight that are compatible with organic production. The (NOSB) passed a resolution to encourage the USDA to investigate a transitional option for the emergency use of tetracycline until 2017. The agency must guarantee that any emergency use is extremely limited, ends as soon as possible and, most importantly, apples and pears from treated trees can not be sold as organic.”

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