Cultivated Meat Could Aid in Reducing Global Antimicrobial Resistance Burden – Producing Meat without Antibiotics as a Safer Food System for the Future

Abstract

It is well accepted that the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock production contributes to the worldwide public health concern known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Antibiotics are widely utilized in the cattle business as growth enhancers and as a cheap alternative to good sanitary practices. The intensive use of antibiotics in animal husbandry has been identified as a major contributor to AMR by the United Nations General Assembly [1] . Animals in crowded settings are more likely to be exposed to disease-causing pathogens and experience stress, leading farmers to overuse antibiotics to keep their livestock alive and continue producing meat. Meat from wild and domesticated animal and fish sources has been found to have antibiotic residues.