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            FDA Calls for Voluntary End to Some Livestock Antibiotic

   by Steve Baragona

   U.S. regulators are asking drug companies to phase out the use of
   certain antibiotics that are intended to improve the growth of
   livestock.
   Critics have long argued the practice is contributing to the worldwide
   antibiotic resistance crisis.
   Small doses of antibiotics added to animal feed or water helps them
   grow faster with less feed.  The practice is commonly used on
   large-scale livestock farms around the world.
   Food and Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner Michael Taylor says it
   is one reason antibiotics are failing to cure more and more infections.

   "We know that the widespread use of antibiotics in animal production
   and human medicine can contribute to antimicrobial resistance.  And we
   know that antimicrobial resistance has significant public health
   consequences," he said.
   The new rule FDA is announcing gives drug companies 90 days to
   voluntarily stop offering their products for uses other than treating
   sick animals or preventing disease.
   And these therapeutic uses will require oversight from a veterinarian.
   "With these changes," Taylor added, "there will be fewer approved uses,
   and the remaining uses will be under tighter control to minimize the
   impact on resistance."
   But Natural Resources Defense Council attorney Avinash Kar dismisses
   the voluntary measure as "a hollow gesture."
   "FDA has essentially followed a voluntary approach for more than 35
   years, but use of these drugs to raise animals has increased," he
   said.  "There is no reason why voluntary recommendations will make a
   difference now, especially when FDA's policy covers only some of the
   many uses of antibiotics on animals that are not sick."
   But the FDA's Taylor says the two companies that manufacture most of
   the affected products have already agreed to restrict their use.
   He adds that ordering companies to make the change would mean going
   through lengthy regulatory proceedings product by product, which would
   take years.
   And if not enough companies are going along, he adds, "we reserve the
   ability to take regulatory action."
   Some changes in the livestock industry are already underway, Taylor
   notes.  Major companies including McDonalds and KFC have limited the
   use of some antibiotics in the food animals they buy.
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   ivestock-antibiotic/1808249.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/FDA-calls-for-voluntary-end-of-some-livestock-antibiotic/1808249.html