Nutrition: conventional or organic?

Question

Dear expert team,

with regard to our daughter (3 months, F508del+R553X) we asked us the question of the later nutrition. Especially, we do ask ourselves, if the used antibiotics in the conventional keeping of animals plays a role with regard to later resistances.

Therefore the questions:
Do you have any information that the meat produced with convetional animal keeping can be dangerous for CF patients beyond the normal extent for healthy human beings? Can there be problems or risks with other conventional produced foods? Would you exclusively recommend bio-meat or bio-food?

Many thanks,
Yours sincerely,

Answer

Hello,

Suzanne van Dullemen, Nutritional Scientist / Nutritionist, pediatric gastro-enterology at the Christiane Herzog CF-center Frankfurt, Germany, has answered your question:

"In conventionally grown produce or rather intensive livestock farming (factory farming) one has to distinguish first of all between antibiotics which are used as a highly effective therapeutic agent in livestock disease and lower sub-therapeutic dosed antibiotics which act as growth promoters.

Since 2006 a EU-Guideline prohibits the use of antibiotics as growth promoters. Alternatively substances, such as organic acids/salts, phytogenic additives, pro- and prebiotics and clay minerals are used.

The antibiotics which are used as therapeutic agents to prevent livestock disease are also used in human medicine. Unfortunately, like in human medicine, resistances of certain pathogenic bacteria have been found in intensive livestock farming. Due to the occurrence of bacterial resistances in intensive livestock farming, a bacterial contamination of conventionally produced meat and thus infection of the consumer is more likely. By maintaining good kitchen hygiene and following food safety guidelines infections involving e.g. Salmonellosis through food consumption are reduced.

Beside the maximum residue limits at the time of slaughter, there is also an officially set minimum withdrawal period, which is defined as the period between the last dose of medication applied to the animal and the point in time when the residues are lower or equal to the maximum residue limit. These measures are controlled regularly and are presented to the highest authority [in Germany], in order to minimize the risk of a possible transmission of resistances to human beings.

In organic livestock farming the use of growth promoters has been prohibited from the beginning on. Antibiotics for the treatment of sick animals can only be administered once, or else the meat has to be sold as conventionally produced. Food animals are kept appropriately so that the number of injuries and necessity for therapy are minimized. In addition, exclusively natural fertilisers and plant protection products are used, so that organic produce don’t show any residues from this area.

Other advantages (beyond the ecological aspect) are the better nutritional properties of organic food. For example, in organic meat the amount of omega-3-fatty acids, which are important for the regulation of inflammatory processes, is higher than in conventional production.

According to the current data a clear statement whether the consumption of conventionally produced meat leads to resistances in the healthy population, let alone in CF-patients, or not, cannot be made. Nevertheless an increased load of diverse drug residues were found in 0.45% of conventionally produced meat samples. The German veterinarian association recommends to stay cautious.

In conclusion I recommend you to offer your daughter organic foods as often as possible. Many products can be purchased in various supermarkets (organic meat, vegetables and fruit). In case you would like to make complementary food yourself, deepfreeze organic vegetables are well sufficient. Various drugstores offer high quality organic products for babies, such as cereals (millet, oat, rice etc.) and puree (after the 4th month), so that the sole use of organic foods during the first year shouldn’t be difficult. Later, the consumption of organic foods is equally recommendable, however there is no evidence, that conventionally produced meat is harmful to the health of CF patients.

I hope to have answered your question and remain with best regards,

Suzanne van Dullemen
Nutritional Scientist / Nutritionist

Ped. Gastroenterology &
Christiane Herzog CF-center Frankfurt, Germany" [end of citation]
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Yours sincerely,
Annette Pfalz für ECORN-CF

08.06.2011