Summary
Antibiotic use in food-producing animals has become a topic of interest across food-producing animal industries as well as in consumer and regulatory arenas. Over time, the guidance to industry has evolved and this article captures the current guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the beef industry’s producer programs.
Background
There has been a great deal of discussion lately about how antibiotics are used in raising livestock. The reality is that farmers and ranchers take antibiotic use in livestock very seriously and continuously evaluate the way they use antibiotics based on the best possible science.
In fact, for nearly 30 years, there have been quality assurance programs in place to help make sure farmers and ranchers are continuously improving the way they raise beef, including the way they use antibiotics, in order to protect human health, as well as animal health. This is often referred to as “antibiotic stewardship.” Today, cattlemen and the entire livestock community are working together to continuously improve the way antibiotics are used in animals, because they care about how their practices impact antibiotic safety and efficacy. As new FDA Guidance goes into effect, it’s important to understand what this new guidance means for the beef industry.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Beef Issues Quarterly