The FDA has drafted a guidance asking the meat industry to end the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals. The rationale behind the request is that the overuse of antibiotics for our livestock is rendering our human-intended antibiotics ineffective in our medical environment.
“Using medically important antimicrobial drugs as judiciously as possible is key to minimizing resistance development and preserving the effectiveness of these drugs as therapies for humans and animals,” said Bernadette Dunham, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “FDA is committed to working with animal drug sponsors, the veterinary and public health communities, the animal agriculture community, and all other interested stakeholders in developing a practical strategy to address antimicrobial resistance concerns that is protective of both human and animal health.”