PEW Charitable Trusts is criticizing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's policy on antibiotic use in food animals, saying there are gaps in the law that promote the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The organization wants the FDA to remove indications for "feed efficiency" and "weight gain" from the labels of animal antibiotics and require vets to oversee the use of the drugs. FDA issued a new policy on antibiotic use in farm animals called Guidance for Industry #213 that was intended to reduce antibiotic misuse. They removed the use of sub-therapeutic additions of antibiotics for feed efficiency and weight gain, but kept the use for disease prevention. PEW reviewed labels of all of the 287 antibiotic products identified by #213 and looked for overlap in the areas of … [Read more...]
Senators Ask FDA to Collect More Antibiotic Data
Four U.S. Senators have written a letter to the FDA to ask that agency to increase tracking of antibiotics used in food animals. They want the agency to propose a rule that improves collection of data on farm antibiotic use and its connection to bacterial resistance. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) all wrote the letter. It states, "we applaud your agency's recent step to issue improved, more transparent reports on annual food animal antibiotic drug sales and distribution data. However, we are disappointed to learn that your agency has decided to delay proposing a rule that would further enhance data collected on this topic until next year, when the OMB estimated the rule would be released in 2014." Foodborne … [Read more...]
Research Shows MRSA Jumps from Animals to Humans
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have released a paper published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology showing that methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can jump from animals to humans. This reinforces the theory that antibiotic-resistant bacteria can move from farm animals to people. The scientists looked at global CC398, a clonal complex of MRSA, mapping the full genetic code of some strains of the bacterium. They then compared these results with published data on the bacteria from livestock and people around the world. Animals and people carry different and distinct varieties of CC398, but researchers found many instances of transmission from livestock to people and from country to country. The paper states "our analysis of CC398 sequences supported the … [Read more...]
Albuquerque and Santa Fe Resolutions Against Farm Antibiotic Use
The City Councils of Albuquerque and Santa Fe have passed resolutions calling on Congress to pass national legislation against the unnecessary use of antibiotics on factory farms. Council Members said that they want to make a statement to their federal delegations and to start discussions about this issue at the local level. Eighty percent of antibiotics used in the U.S. are used on factory farms to animals that are not sick. They are used for growth promotion and to prevent disease in poor conditions. FDA recently asked the makers of animal antibiotics to stop use of the drugs in growth promotion, but this was only a "guidance document" and not a law. And farmers can still use the drugs to prevent disease. This overuse creates bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Eleanor … [Read more...]
FDA Publishes Report on Antibiotics Used in Farm Animals
The FDA has published its annual summary report on antimicrobials sold or distributed in 2012 for use in food-producing animals. Antibiotic drug sponsors are required to report yearly to the FDA the drugs they sell or distribute for use in farm animals. Trends from the report are: the total quantity of medically important antimicrobials sold or distributed for use in food-producing animals increased by 16% from 2009 to 2012. But the percentage of domestic sales and distribution of medically important antimicrobials approved for production use decreased from 72% to 68%. And the percentage of domestic sales of antimicrobials used in animals that are medically important to humans decreased from 98% to 97%. The sales and distribution data does not represent how the drugs are actually … [Read more...]
Governor Brown Vetoes Bill That Would Curbed Antibiotic Use
California Governor Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would have curbed the use of antibiotics on factory farms. He stated that most major producers already go beyond the voluntary FDA standards (guidance) for their use and wants to look for other ways to reduce sub therapeutic antibiotic use. Most food safety and medical experts are unhappy with the FDA's stance on this issue, pointing out that guidance documents do not go far enough and that actual rules and laws are needed to curb this growing problem. The Governor is, instead, directing the California Department of Food and Agriculture to work with the Legislature to find "new and effective ways to reduce the unnecessary antibiotics used for livestock and poultry." If the bill had been signed, it would have been the first time … [Read more...]
Tyson, Perdue End Antibiotic Use in Chicken Hatcheries
Tyson Foods announced that as of October 1, 2014, it will no longer use antibiotics in its chicken hatcheries. Antibiotic use in farm animals for reasons other than treating disease has been linked to the evolution and development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that have made the jump from animals to humans. Purdue announced it was also discontinuing antibiotic use in its chickens last month. Tyson will still use antibiotics when prescribed by a veterinarian, although they will still be used to "prevent disease", which is one of the ways antibiotic resistance develops. They also state that the "vast majority" of antibiotics used in their hatcheries aren't used in human medicine, although antibiotic resistance can still develop even when antibiotics not used in human medicine are … [Read more...]
CSPI Petitions USDA to Declare Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Adulterants
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is petitioning the USDA to declared four antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella bacteria adulterants under federal law. The petition was filed on October 1, 2014. The petition is a refiling of one filed in May 2011 which was denied by the USDA. One reason the USDA gave for the denial is that "ordinary cooking is sufficient to kill Salmonella", even though cross-contamination is one way the bacteria contaminates food in the home. This new petition provides the agency with more evidence as support. As evidence, CSPI gave USDA recipes from the New York Times, Food Network, Epicurious, and other sources for pork, lamb, and chicken with cooking times indicative of rare or medium-rare temperatures. CSPI has documented 19 outbreaks … [Read more...]
Global Health Security Agenda Addresses Animal Disease Link
The White House released a fact sheet on Friday about the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). Discussions were held at the White House which included leaders of the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organization for Animal Health, and representatives from 40 countries. FAO Director-General Jose Graziano de Silva spoke about the need for animal health controls to stop the spread of disease from animals to humans. The Ebola outbreak highlights this need. He said that "controlling zoonotic diseases and emerging threats at the human, animal and ecosystems interface needs an integrated and multidisciplinary approach that brings different sectors to work closely together to attain the health of people, animals, and the environment." He added "there is a need to set up global … [Read more...]
Senators Ask President for Increased NARMS Funding
Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are asking the President to increase funding for the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) in a letter sent to the White House on Monday, September 22, 2014. The senators are asking for $15 million in the fiscal year 2016 budget. The senators say that "combatting the mounting threat of antibiotic resistance in foodborne pathogens is one of our top priorities, and NARMS is key in this effort." Last week the White House released a report on combating antibiotic resistance, along with a National Strategy on Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria and a Presidential Executive Order which emphasizes the importance of this work. The CDC estimates that 2,000,000 people develop … [Read more...]
