There are 76 million cases of food poisoning in the United States each year. Most poultry-related cases are caused by just two groups of organisms – Campylobacter and Salmonella.

Large-scale poultry producers use antibiotics in their feed to reduce bacterial outbreaks that can then be transferred to consumers – usually because their animals are so crowded that disease transmission is high. However, antibiotics don’t work on Campylobacter, and scientists and consumers have grown increasingly wary of antibiotics in their food.

Scientists at the University of Arkansas have found one solution - in the form of caprylic acid, a fatty acid found in coconut and cow’s milk. Researchers found that caprylic acid reduced Campylobacter populations in turkey guts, though the mechanism remains unknown.

However, constantly medicated animals of any sort goes hand-in-hand with concentrated, confined livestock, which is the real source of the problem. In addition, caprylic acid will likely be laboratory synthesized and become another high-priced item that producers will be pressured to buy.

The bottom line is that more agricultural research studying the efficacy of whole, non-patentable antiviral or antibacterial feedstuffs – like cilantro or garlic - would be helpful to farmers, who could grow these items on-site inexpensively.

Via LiveScience

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