FDA limits some antibiotics consumed

Agency associates antibiotic resistant pathogens to animal antibiotic use

As of yesterday, the FDA has ordered farmers to limit the use of a type of antibiotic given to livestock due to making humans more resistant to a key antibiotic which could save lives. This is good news for those for consumers who have become more aware of the years of the use of antibiotics in livestock and are advocating for antibiotic free meat.

FDA officials have made it clear stating they believe antibiotics given to livestock before slaughter is associated to the increasing antibiotic resistance in humans. The FDA has battled over how to confront the problem due to the strength of the livestock industry who firmly state that these drugs are required to keep the animals healthy.

Yesterday, the FDA took a stand and ordered limits on celphalosporins which is administered to cattle, chicken, turkeys and swine before slaughter. Cephalosporins are an important class of antibacterial agents in use today for both humans and animals The drug is used in humans for the treatment of pneumonia, meningitis, skin infections and other diseases.

When the drug is used in the livestock industry it is directly injected into the animals or eggs. However, this antibiotic is not as vastly used compared to many other antibiotics which are mixed into immense amounts of animal feed. However, these drugs are important for humans as often they are used in life-threatening situations and many lives could be lost if a resistance to this drug is built up over a span of time.

Dr. David Wallinga, M.D. , physician at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minneapolis, Minnesota, notes this drug is a critical class of antibiotics for humans. "In the medical world you'd call it a 'big gun' or a 'drug of last resort.' It's effective against a pretty broad spectrum of bacteria."

The FDA has stated in its order these drugs can be especially critical in the treatment of children and some adults for salmonella poising. They also noted that human exposure to food which contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as certain forms of salmonella is "the most significant risk to the public health associated with antimicrobial resistance." Over recent years the number of foodborne outbreaks linked to antibiotic-resistant pathogens has been growing in numbers, the agency is linking this trend to animal antibiotic usage.

Public health advocates have had concerns over this issues and for a long time have been pushing the government to demand that the livestock industry to use less antibiotics. Some farmers will administer them to healthy animals to promote growth or keep them healthy in unsanitary feedlot conditions.

Keep in mind the agency is not banning the use of celphalosporins just placing limits on its use. It can still be used in some instances in the livestock industry. Health advocates are applauding the FDA for this new move but still note that it did not go far enough.

Representative Louise Slaughter, U.S. Congresswoman, D, New York, 28th District, and a microbiologist, has pressured the government on the issue made her feeling known when she stated "We don't have time for the FDA to ploddingly take half-measures. We are staring at a massive public health threat in the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. We need to start acting with the swiftness and decisiveness this problem deserves." In her article “Whats in your Christmas Ham?” she had written nearly half of all retail meat and poultry in the U.S. is contaminated with potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The livestock industry after the agency announcement had stated that there is not enough evidence that the use of the antibiotic is unsafe.

Executive Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, Kristina Butts had remarked antibiotic resistance is a complicated issue and further stated "the top priority for cattle producers is to raise healthy cattle because healthy cattle are the foundation of a safe, wholesome food supply."

When President Obama had taken office the FDA spent the first two years of his term stating that agriculture antibiotic use presents a serious public health risk. It was not until yesterday when the agency finally had take some action.

Project Director Laura Rogers for Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming had stated about the announcement “today is a great first step, more work needs to be done”.

You can as a consumer purchase certified organic free range chicken along with hormone/antibiotic free meat.

There are many small farmers who do not use antibiotics all mainly due to the fact the animals are not raised in unhealthy conditions. Animals are raised in clean environments which promote health. Some of them will use antibiotics only in the case of sick animals.

Federal standards prohibit the use of antibiotics in animals whose meat will be certified organic.

Keep Antibiotics Working is a coalition of health, consumer, agricultural, environmental, humane and other advocacy groups with more than eleven million members dedicated to eliminating a major cause of antibiotic resistance: the inappropriate use of antibiotics in food animals.