Global Fertilizer Day
October 13, 2016
October Is Co-op Month
October 20, 2016
Animal agriculture – including farmers, veterinarians, feed mills and animal health companies – is currently working to implement significant changes in the way antibiotics are used to keep food animals healthy. These changes build on animal agriculture’s decades-long history of innovation and continuous improvement undertaken to ensure antibiotic stewardship, including the design of modern production systems, which have helped reduce the need for many antibiotics. Under a new FDA policy which takes effect January 1, 2017, antibiotics similar to those used in human medicine will be used in food animals only to fight disease under the supervision of a veterinarian.
This regulatory change proactively addresses issues raised in the Pew report by ensuring that a licensed veterinarian must order and oversee the use of a medically important antibiotic administered through feed or water. All remaining legally approved uses of these antibiotics will be therapeutic, targeted, uses – meaning only for the prevention, control or treatment of disease. The FDA-approved label for each product – which must be followed exactly by both veterinarians and farmers — designates a specific disease or pathogen to be targeted when the product is used therapeutically.
