CHICAGO, June 26 (UPI) -- A scientific panel says the $14 billion U.S. organic foods industry does not produce foods that are necessarily better for human consumption.
"What we are trying to do is bring a balance to the discussion," said Michael Doyle, the chairman of a scientific panel assembled by the Institute of Food Technologists told the Chicago Tribune.
Doyle, a professor and director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, told The Tribune he and the institute don't dismiss concerns about overuse of antibiotics or anti-microbials, such as cleaners and disinfectants.
But, he said, "Prior human exposure to antibiotics is the greatest factor for acquiring an infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria," not routine treatment of food-chain animals with antibiotics.
Some organic food advocates have suggested antibiotic-free foods are better for human consumption, the newspaper noted.
