March 3, 2011

Controversy on usage of antibiotics in US livestock

Experts still cannot agree on how to manage the usage of antibiotics in US livestock.

                                 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave draft guidelines for the judicious use of antimicrobials in food animals in June, 2010. The document is currently undergoing evaluation and has sparked a debate among experts. Fully titled "The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals," the FDA's draft guidance offers recommendations for food producers to use antibiotics for disease treatment and prevention instead of using medically important antimicrobials on healthy animals for growth promotion.

According to FDA spokeswoman, Laura Alvey, although the process of evaluating the public comments and setting up a final set of guidelines is a priority, the agency does not have a time line for giving the final version of the guidelines.

According to figures in this FDA report, more than 13 million kilograms of antibacterial drugs were sold for animal use in 2009 and this amount is approximately four times more than the amount sold that year for human use. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said this number is misleading because almost 39% of the antibiotics sold for use in farm animals included ionophores, chemicals that are not used in human medicine and also emphasised that the FDA numbers symbolise the amount of antibiotics sold but not the amount used.

Dr Howard Hill, an Iowa veterinarian and member of the NPPC's board of directors, said the FDA report does not indicate that livestock producers use antibiotics excessively, nor does it show them being irresponsible.

New York Congresswoman, Louise Slaughter, is persistent in her call to implement tighter controls on animal antibiotic use in the US. Slaughter said she will once again recommend legislation in the House to lessen the use of antibacterial drugs on healthy animals.