The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a series of three documents in the Federal Register today as part of an effort to alter the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals....More
Opponents to the use of antibiotics in livestock production have exaggerated its use, according to recent reports from Kansas State University (KSU)....More
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reaffirmed its support of the responsible use of antibiotics in food animals after a federal court ruling demanded that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) start proceedings to withdraw approval of certain uses of antibiotics used in food production....More
DNA testing has come a long way. Fans of the CSI television franchise tune in every week to see how forensic scientists use tiny tissue samples to unveil the culprit of a crime. DNA traceability could also be a valuable tool in tracing food back to its origins when needed....More
Livestock producers and their nutritionists have been wondering whether antibiotic residues from the ethanol fermentation process might linger in the distiller's co-products used in livestock diets....More
Mark Fehr and his brother-in-law Don Stuber buy 1,000 head of 21-day-old weaned pigs every nine weeks from a sow co-op. The pigs flow into a hot nursery and then flow into one side of a 2,000-head, double-wide finishing facility....More
The pork industry faces gradually tightening restrictions on the use of antibiotics to treat swine health issues. But producers are well suited to meet this challenge, says University of Illinois swine nutritionist James Pettigrew....More
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) sent a letter to over 60 fastfood companies, producers, processors and grocery chains asking them to disclose their policies on antibiotic use in meat and poultry production. Slaughter is also asking that the companies release the percentage of meat produced with and without antibiotics and information on any restrictions on antibiotic use....More
Antibiotics in pig feed increased the number of antibiotic-resistant genes in gastrointestinal microbes in pigs, according to a study conducted by Michigan State University (MSU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service. Published in the current edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the comprehensive study focused on understanding the effects of conventional, in-feed antibiotics in U.S. hog farms...More
Researchers and experts in animal health and human health shared scientific and thought-provoking information that elicited much lively discussion from participants of the “Antibiotic Use in Food Animals: A Dialogue for a Common Purpose” symposium...More
Now that U.S. pork exports comprise more than 20% of U.S. production and post-harvest testing capabilities are more precise than ever, it’s time to ensure that withdrawal times of antibiotics are closely adhered to...More
The General Accounting Office (GAO) says federal agencies have collected some data on antibiotic use in animals and on resistant bacteria in animals and retail meat...More
A coalition of medical and consumer groups is urging Congress to limit the use of antibiotics for livestock. The coalition sent a letter to Congress saying "the evidence is so strong of a link between misuse of antibiotics in food animals and human antibiotic resistance that (the Food & Drug Administration) FDA and Congress should be acting much more boldly and urgently to protect these vital drugs for human illness. In fact, government data show that the vast majority of antibiotics in the United States are sold for use in food animals, not people." Members of the coalition include Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Union of Concerned Scientists....More
The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) has planned a national forum on antibiotics, “Antibiotic Use in Food Animals: A Dialogue for a Common Purpose,” set for Oct. 26-27, 2011 at the Hotel Intercontinental, Chicago O’Hare, Rosemount, IL...More
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) is asking the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for greater oversight of antibiotics used for farm animals....More
The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) is planning a national forum for experts in animal agriculture, researchers in livestock health and experts in human health to come together for a dialogue about the use of antibiotics in food production...More
The chief veterinarian at the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has downplayed the value of a new “technical review” published on a USDA Web site entitled, “A Focus on Antimicrobial Resistance.”...More
A bipartisan group of senators, three Democrats and a Republican, have introduced legislation that would restrict the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture, according to The Hill...More
National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) chief veterinarian Liz Wagstrom has issued a seven-point response to Rep. Louise Slaughter’s (D-NY) recent allegations of misuse of antibiotics in food animals. She wrote...More
There is virtually no impact on public health from the routine use of animal antibiotics in feed, whether it be for growth promotion or nutritional efficiency, says Liz Wagstrom, chief veterinarian for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)...More
Maintaining the ability to strategically use antimicrobials and more complex nursery diets to support the health and wellness of pigs should not be taken lightly...More
Field tests by University of Missouri scientists confirm laboratory research showing that buffer strips of grass and other plants reduce herbicide and antibiotic levels in surface runoff from farmland...More
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a clarification to a newspaper report regarding recent statements an official made about livestock producers overusing antibiotics leading to antibiotic resistance in humans...More
