February 20, 2013

US reports excessive antibiotics use for meat, poultry production

US FDA's new report shows that 29.9 million pounds of antibiotics were sold in America for meat and poultry production.

Unfortunately, Tamiflu used in animal feed could be increasing antibiotic resistance in people. According to reports, the amount of Tamiflu and other antibiotics used in meat and poultry production was four times the amount sold to sick humans. Under current law, livestock producers are not required to report which animals are treated with the drugs, how they use the drugs, or which drugs are used.

Tetracyclines and penicillins for animal use have increased for the second year in a row, a newspaper reports. About 38% of all penicillin sales were for animals in 2011, and that same year, 38% of all tetracycline sales were for animals and livestock.

The FDA has attempted to create new guidelines regarding pharmaceutical labelling of antibiotics for livestock. The labelling would note that antibiotics, including Tamiflu, would only be used on sick livestock. With the FDA guidelines proposal, there is still a catch - the process would be entirely voluntary, Food Safety News notes.

A National Academy of Sciences study maintains that China is using drugs on chickens to prevent illness but also to enhance growth.

Michigan state University microbiologist James Tiedje noted that manure from pig farms in China showed antibiotic residues. During the study, Tiedje also found that more than one hundred different resistance genes with levels two hundred times higher than in manure from pigs who had not consumed antibiotics. While the study detailed the problems in China, the microbiologist feels the matter is a worldwide problem. Similar results have also been reportedly documented in Europe.