ABF: The Healthy Choice to Feed Your Family

Consumers now have choices for healthier meal options.

With those choices can come confusion, though: The various labels and claims on packages of meat and poultry--such as "organic," "natural," "grass fed," "free range," "raised without antibiotics," and "raised without hormones"--can confound even the most well-informed shoppers.

Perhaps one of the most relevant claims today is that no antibiotics were used in an animal's feed. While antibiotics are necessary to treat infections in both animals and humans, there is great concern for their overuse and misuse.

Why antibiotic-free (ABF) is a good choice

Bacteria can develop resistance to drugs over time by mutating into drug-resistant strains. Many people fear that antibiotics will lose their effectiveness on humans due to excessive use in animals.

In fact, antibiotics resistance is considered to be one of the world's most pressing public health problems.

Why give antibiotics to animals at all?

Administering antibiotics to food animals for the prevention of illness and disease became common practice because of commercial production procedures like housing animals in cramped, unclean buildings and feeding them grains and other products that promote growth, but are not part of their natural diets.

But if the animals are allowed to graze freely, eat grass and other natural foods, and are not kept penned in bacteria-prone quarters, then antibiotics are no longer required as a preventative tool. (Though they are generally used to treat disease.)

More natural, more healthful

The more naturally raised the animals, the more healthful the meat will be. No question.

And the good news for consumers is that meat from animals raised without antibiotics is increasingly available. The price tag is slightly higher, as you can imagine, because raising animals in natural conditions and eliminating the use of growth-promoting chemicals increases the cost of production.

Horizon Foods has always taken great pride in offering its customers healthful, high quality meats and offers a variety of ABF products.

Horizon Foods' ABF chicken

At the farms that raise our chickens, no antibiotics are added to the feed. The birds have room to roam and access to clean water.

They're fed a nutritious, all-vegetable diet and are raised without hormones or anything else artificial. Each chicken is individually graded and hand-selected to ensure the highest quality available.

Horizon Foods cares about the quality and wholesomeness of its products the same way you care about the foods you place on your dinner table.

So now you don't have to worry about all the confusing claims at your supermarket meat counter. Horizon Foods can deliver high quality, naturally raised chicken--including ABF cutlets, chicken fingers, chicken breast bites, wings and kabobs--that are more healthful options for you and your family.

© 2007 BeTuitive Publishing