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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Arsenic Facts

Mr. Albero,
Thanks for your comments on today’s site. 

Attached are materials prepared by Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. during this year’s Maryland General Assembly session related to bills to ban the use of arsenic-containing ingredients in chicken feed.  I encourage you to read them and know the facts about arsenic and its use in some birds on Delmarva.  Not all chickens are fed arsenic-containing products and those that are fed this poultry health product do not have it in every morsel they eat. 

You will see that there are many reasons why a ban is not needed.  This is a federally regulated product that undergoes a new FDA review regularly.

The amount of arsenic in the soils where chicken manure is applied is negligible.  From an environmental perspective, the use of the arsenic products to reduce a microscopic organism in the guts of chickens makes for healthier birds, improves bird welfare, and allows them to better absorb their feed and the nutrients in the feed.  Thus, the birds’ manure contains less phosphorous and nitrogen, the elements of primary concern in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.  One could argue that the use of this federally regulated product actually can provide water quality benefits in our region.

I trust these materials will give you a better understanding of the role arsenic plays in ensuring the health of some of Delmarva’s chickens.

Bill Satterfield
Executive Director
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.
16686 County Seat Highway
Georgetown, Delaware 19947-4881
302-856-9037
302-856-9799 (fax)

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry Bill, can't let this one go. Are you seriously trying to spin that the use of arsenic in our food supply is beneficial to the environment?? That's brilliant!! Give me a call, I represent a new industry that is going to reshape our food supply, I represent a product called Soylent Green. I think you could sell it to the public very well.

Anonymous said...

851am

the guy gives you facts, and you discredit them (probably without reading them). ya know, apple seeds have cyanide in them? lets outlaw apples! yayy hippies! >.>

Anonymous said...

This is just like when the government began making tobacco companies tell people that smoking is bid for you -- same denial of the obvious.

Anonymous said...

Perfect Xmas gift -- egg-nog ladened with lots af arsenic!

Anonymous said...

Ok, let's go over this again. Trace amounts of certain minerals and compounds affect non human species in sometimes positive ways, that may be hard to understand. Trace arsenic is one such componund. While we have moved beyond quinine (sp?)for malaria in humans gratefully, is it neccasary to move beyond trace arsenic to dose poultry when infestation can cause severe mortality? Get real people, bird guts are different from human guts. Again, those nut jobs offered zero proof, I mean ZERO proof of their idiotic scare tactic claims of arsenic in our water or soil. Those whack jobs are there to do one thing, ID voters, we know who they are, and where they are from and they better stay one the other side of the ditch.

Anonymous said...

9:50
well since bird guts are different does that mean the birds dont absorb arsenic into their system. So the birds we eat dont have trace amounts of arsenic in them. And how about the largest amount of cancer is at the same places the largest amount of birds are grown.

Anonymous said...

Hey Bill, what about the excessively elevated cancer rates on the Eastern Shore? Answer us that one...and spin it so as to "prove" the chicken industry has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Anonymous said...

@1110am

remember, the prove lies with the prosecutor (you), not the defendant (him). prove where chickens cause cancer. btw, did you know we arent the only chicken producing area? imagine that.

Anonymous said...

1024

Please show me the studies showing the arsenic level in chickens please? Just because you say it's true doesn't mean it is. As a matter of fact, do you think those commie leftie morons haven't had the chicken checked for evering single thing? Did they distribute ONE shred proving their idiotic assertions? Don't claim that arsenic is in chicken when it isn't. Perdue doesn't even use the additive anymore. The cancer rate question is interesting. Is cancer higher on the Delmarva? Can you verify please. I did not know that.

Anonymous said...

personally i beleive all the hormones in chickens are responsible for giving women larger breasts. i say add more

Anonymous said...

1:08
obviously you dont know how to use the internet yet. Learn how to you it and find it your self. OH try bing, google, yahoo if you think you can handle it, dont want you to get out in the world

Anonymous said...

Big government trying to screw over the farmers again!

Anonymous said...

The death rate from cancer is higher on the eastern shore per capita compared to other local areas on the western shore and surrounding states. Some areas on the eastern shore do have higher incident rates but the biggest concern is the higher number of people dying from it. Which means 1)there is not adequate treatment resources 2) there is a lack of insurance coverage that leads to delay in discovery of the disease.

As far as I know (I am not a professional so it may be out there I just don't know where to find it) there is no records stating cancer rates or death rates for individual towns, it is only by county and larger.

There is a real easy rule of thumb on the safeness of edible product though. If you grow it yourself you know what you put into it! If you are so worried about what farmers are doing to your beef, poultry, vegetables, or fruits then grow it yourself and you won't have to worry about it!

Anonymous said...

if our death rate is higher, it's because the docs are sub par. If they could get a job somewhere else, they would.