GOOD NEWS FOR THE FOOD CHAIN: FDA BANS USE OF ANTIBIOTICS FOR NON THERAPEUTIC USE IN FOOD ANIMALS

The growing alarm at antibiotic resistant bugs has prompted the FDA to try banning the use of antibiotics for food animals who are disease free.

While before all food animals were given antibiotics routinely as a prevention measure, now the FDA wants to mandate that the medication  only be used in the event the animals shows signs of illness.

The massive and pervasive use of antibiotics in all food animals has been a huge factor in the creation of drug resistant bugs.  It has also caused a great deal of contamination of the waterways and groundwater.

One of the gravest concerns with the use of routine antibiotics, is the growing number of food born illness, and specifically E.Coli, whose more virulent strains have become so potent, and so resistant, that they threaten the population at large.

But the consumption of antibiotic fed food animals causes resistance in every kind of bacteria, since consumption of these animals creates a constant level of antibiotic presence in the person's bloodstream.

However, the measure adopted by the FDA falls short of decisive action.  What it has done, is ordering pharmaceutical companies to change their labels so that they now read that the product is for therapeutic use and not as an additive or animal production adjuvant. 

Either way, the only possible outcome of this measure will rely on self policing on the part of the pharmaceutical companies and by reflection the farmers who raise food animals.  While the therapeutically labelled antibiotics will no longer be available as feed additives, and only veterinarians will be able to prescribe it, it remains to be seen how well the pharmaceutical companies will adhere to the mandate, since the measure from the FDA seriously undermines their income potential. 

The safety finding that shone a light on the role of antibiotics in creating drug resistant bugs goes back to 1977.  That's almost 40 years.  Why has it taken so long for the FDA to enforce the measure?  Is it powerful lobbying on the part of the pharmaceutical companies?  Is it a product of different administrations in government?

Even with the measure passed, pharmaceutical companies's compliance is not mandatory.  It will be elective.  Within the next three months they must signify their adherence to the FDA mandate.  If they do so, they still have three years before they change their labeling practices. 

In other words, the FDA is hoping that the pharmaceutical companies voluntarily make these changes, instead of imposing sanctions and penalties for non compliance. 

op-Ed

Partial Source : MNT/ 12.13.13