AUGUSTA -- A policy bill set to be heard Monday by the Legislature's Agriculture Committee would require all Maine public school systems, the University of Maine System and all state institutions to, according to this story, give preference to food brokers who can supply meats that have been produced without nontherapeutic use of antibiotics.
The story says that basically, the policy would promote buying organic or natural meat to fill the schools' and institutions' needs, which a fiscal note accompanying the bill said would be difficult if not impossible. The increased costs could jump a University of Maine student's yearly meal plan costs by 11 percent.
The bill would regulate beef, pork, turkey and chicken purchases, and defines antibiotics to include penicillins, tetracyclines, macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramins, aminoglycosides and sulfonamides.
Sen. Scott Cowger, D-Hallowell, is the bill's sponsor. Co-sponsors include Rep. John Piotti, D-Unity, Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds, and Rep. Joshua Tardy, R-Newport.
The Maine Farm Bureau has stated its opposition to the bill, which the bureau's Jon Olson recently said was originated by out-of-state interests.
The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association backs the proposal.
A 2004 U.S. survey, commissioned by Whole Foods Market, the country's largest natural and organic foods supermarket, revealed that almost three-quarters (74 percent) of Americans are concerned about the presence of antibiotics in meat production, yet less than half (48 percent) are aware that the meat they buy is commonly raised on feed that contains antibiotics.Bangor Daily News, Maine
