FDA Calls for Ban on Antibiotics for Growth Promotion

July 22, 2009 — 

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in testimony before the House Rules Committee announced that FDA supports "ending the use of antibiotics for growth and feed efficiency in the United States." Sharfstein also stated that FDA believes all medications used in animal agriculture should be "under the supervision of a veterinarian." This is a major change in policy by the FDA.

The House Rules Committee hearing was regarding H.R. 1549, the "Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009," which would ban the use of antibiotics for livestock except when the animal is sick. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), chairwoman of the committee and sponsor of H.R. 1549, said, "When we go to the grocery store to pick up dinner, we should be able to buy our food without worrying that eating it will expose our family to potentially deadly bacteria that will no longer respond to our medical treatments. Unless we act now, we will unwittingly be permitting animals to serve as incubators for resistant bacteria." The witnesses who endorsed the bill included the Pew Environment Group, Union of Concerned Scientists, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Bon Appétit, and the Center for Metagenomics and Human Health.

Last year Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA) presented testimony on the House Agriculture Committee's review of this issue. Boswell stated: "All antibiotics used to keep animals healthy have passed the in-depth FDA process, and have been shown to be safe and effective and have undergone review of their potential to cause increased antibiotic resistance." Boswell also told the committee that if H.R. 1549 is enacted and products are removed from use, "livestock producers will be left with few, if any, medicines to prevent and control animal disease."

[Editor's Note: The AASV has been very active on this issue. The association's leadership has met with FDA directly to discuss our concerns regarding the possibility of losing access to valuable antimicrobials or additional restrictions on utilizing products in accordance with approved label claims. The AASV joined other members of the Animal Agriculture Coalition in Washington, DC to meet with FDA Commissioner Hamburg and Deputy Commissioner Sharfstein at their request to express our concerns and begin a dialogue to educate FDA regarding how antimicrobials are used in food-producing animals and express support for the scientific process by which FDA analyzes and approves antimicrobials for veterinary use.]

Source: National Hog Farmer Weekly Preview, July 20, 2009