FDA Further Tightens Rules on Antibiotic Use in Livestock

April 13, 2012 – Earlier this week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it is taking three steps to protect public health and promote the judicious use of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals.

The agency has recommended a phasing out of medically important drugs in agricultural production, as well as for veterinarians to have more oversight on the therapeutic uses of these drugs and how they are used in feed (ie. a prescription will be required). It is has also drafted a guidance document to assist drug companies in voluntarily removing production uses of antibiotics from their FDA-approved product labels; adding, where appropriate, scientifically-supported disease prevention, control, and treatment uses; and changing the marketing status to include veterinary oversight.

Earlier this month, a court ruling in New York stated that the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) must re-open its investigation into whether penicillin and tetracycline, two widely used antibiotics, are loosing their effectiveness in humans because of their use to promote growth in chickens, pigs and cattle.

For more information, read the FDA Press Announcement.