FDA takes effort to curb antibiotics in livestock on the road

Concerns have been arising for more than a decade that an increased use of these medications could have serious consequences.

The FDA issued “voluntary guidelines” for the industry last year, warning them that “non-judicious” – or non-medical – use of antibiotics could cause drug-resistant diseases in animals, which could be passed on to the humans who eat them.

{mosads}Livestock producers can currently buy these drugs over-the-counter, which the agriculture agency claims is needed in this modern food-producing environment.

In a Federal Register announcement that will be published on Thursday, the agency says that changing these regulations has “practical implications for animal producers.”

The meetings – which will be held in Bowling Green, Ky., Olympia, Wash., Fort Collins, Colo., Pierre, S.D., and College Station, Texas – will also focus on how to make it easier for smaller or more rural livestock producers to comply with the regulations. Click here to see more about the meetings, dates and times.