Disclaimer: This assignment was prepared for the Public Relations program at Conestoga College. It is a fictional scenario and is not intended to represent the views of the College, PR program or faculty. In cases where a real organization is named, the intent is purely academic and should not be taken as real or representative of the views of the named organizations.

PECKING FOR GRAINS OF TRUTH

Health Canada is breading their recent nugget of contradiction with a lack of clarification and a side of sweet and sour reality.

KITCHENER, ON. – A news conference held this afternoon shed some light on the use of antibiotics in the poultry farming industry. Representatives from Sargent Farms, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Health Canada and Homegrown Ontario were present to answer questions surrounding the use of antibiotics in our food supply and the safe handling of poultry, before reaching our dinner tables.

A tipping point in the conference came when K**** P****ski, President of Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada’s leading representative, was quoted saying, ‘Chickens are immune to antibiotics, their ‘superbugs’ are resistant.’ stating that this claim was backed up by scientific studies. When asked to clarify why antibiotics were used at all if such was the case, she quickly retracted, plucking through her notes, simply stating, ‘It’s necessary.’ offering no further explanation.

This raises the questions, ‘If even Health Canada says chickens are resistant to traditional medicine, why then are these animals being subjected to the drugs in the first place? What long-term damage they will do to humans?’

Doling out answers, as if they were on a conveyer belt, all ‘expert’ representatives leaned on the same vein of understanding, claiming that proper food handling, along with on-site farm surveillance to ensure proper care of the flocks, will minimize the use of antibiotics in our food supply, boasting of up and coming programs to educate the public on how to handle raw foods and become more educated consumers.