FDA touts voluntary limits on animal antibiotic use

The Food and Drug Administration has proposed a voluntary initiative to reduce antibiotic use in livestock to reduce antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans. The initiative would "discourage" use of certain antibiotics in livestock feed, but not prohibit it outright. The drugs would still be available to veterinarians and farmers to prevent or control illness in animals, Tom Johnston of MeatingPlace reports.

A federal court recently ordered FDA to restart hearings about antibiotic use that were ended last December. Some studies have linked antibiotic use in animals to higher rates of drug-resistant infections in humans. The agency is releasing three guidance documents "to help veterinarians, farmers and animal producers 'use medically important antibiotics judiciously in food-producing animals by targeting their use to only address diseases and health problems.'" The documents include a final guidance for the meat industry, a draft guidance for drug companies that will be open for public comment, and a draft proposal for veterinarians. (Read more)