The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) issued a news release this week responding to the publication of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) documents in the Federal Register pertaining to the reduction of antimicrobial use for food-producing animals. Under the new, voluntary initiative, certain antibiotics would not be used for production purposes, such as to enhance growth or improve feed efficiency in an animal. These antibiotics would still be available to prevent, control or treat illnesses in food-producing animals under veterinary supervision. A three year “phase-in period” would elapse before these changes become effective. The dates of the phase-in period are currently unspecified....
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The issue of antibiotic use in swine diets has created a firestorm of controversy in two staunchly opposed camps. The pro-livestock side argues that pork producers avoid the routine use of antibiotics, relying instead on the responsible use of these products to efficiently and safely produce a wholesome product for consumers. The activist camp charges that animal antibiotics are overused simply to produce faster-gaining livestock, causing an alarming growth in antibiotic resistance that threatens the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating human diseases. 
