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There are many forms of organic and inorganic arsenic, and each has a different level of toxicity. The low levels of the arsenic forms found in chicken feed (to stimulate growth) are not normally toxic to the chickens or other barnyard animals... however prolonged ingestion of chicken meat (particularly the giblets) could build arsenic up to a toxic level in humans. Arsenic in very low levels may be beneficial because it is an antimicrobial and a stimulant, but too much (or the wrong form) is toxic and/or carcinogenic. It's similar to the cyanide found in apple seeds -- an apple a day keeps the doctor away -- but you certainly wouldn't want to be exposed to a larger amounts of it or for long periods of time.
There are many forms of organic and inorganic arsenic, and each has a different level of toxicity. The low levels of the arsenic forms found in chicken feed (to stimulate growth) are not normally toxic to the chickens or other barnyard animals... however prolonged ingestion of chicken meat (particularly the giblets) could build arsenic up to a toxic level in humans. Arsenic in very low levels may be beneficial because it is an antimicrobial and a stimulant, but too much (or the wrong form) is toxic and/or carcinogenic. It's similar to the cyanide found in apple seeds -- an apple a day keeps the doctor away -- but you certainly wouldn't want to be exposed to a larger amounts of it or for long periods of time.
NP - I just had to learn more than I ever wanted to know about arsenic because the groundwater on our property contains a large amount of naturally occuring arsenic... JOY (not). That just made our filtration and purification expenses much higher because the arsenic levels are high enough to bad for the animals, not just us.
The only reason I knew they put arsenic in chicken feed was because my father worked at a feed mill and that was his job...put arsenic in the feed. When I asked why, he explained that it made the chickens thirsty which made them grow quicker. Later it explained why rat poison no loner killed rats. All4seasons explanation is far more specific however.
Its funny because I do not eat chicken because of the arsenic content.
Arsenic in chicken feed? Absurd! Talk about poisoning for profit! Thank you for doing your job Food and Drug Administration. What do I expect form neocon Republicans anyway. Good Government? Not really.
Arsenic in chicken feed? Absurd! Talk about poisoning for profit! Thank you for doing your job Food and Drug Administration. What do I expect form neocon Republicans anyway. Good Government? Not really.
My father started work at that chicken feed plant in 1974...it has been going on for a long time. I'm not defending the practice at all, just saying its pretty much old news.
I did not mean to imply that you support arsenic in chicken feed. You sound way too sensible for that. Thank you for the information.
FWIW - I was a machinist back in the day. Broken taps were very difficult to remove.
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