Antibiotics Phase Out

[OldDog/NewTricks]

US antibiotics phased out in two years time

// 13 feb 2007
Bills have been introduced in the US Congress that would phase-out within two years the non-therapeutic use in animal feed of antibiotics that are deemed important to human medicine. They also would require manufacturers to submit information on the amounts of such drugs sold.

The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act was introduced in the Senate by Edward Kennedy (Democrat-Massachusetts), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee along with Senator Olympia Snowe (Republican-Maine). The House version was introduced by Rules Committee Chair, Louise Slaughter (Democrat-New York), the only microbiologist in Congress.

Pressure has been growing to discontinue the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animal feed citing the growing resistance to the medicines in humans.

The bill also requires the pharmaceutical companies making agricultural antibiotics to submit data on the quantity of drugs they sell, along with information on the claimed purpose and the dosage form of those drugs, to help public health officials track the implementation of the phase-out.

It is said the bill has the support of more than 350 health, agriculture and other groups. It would phase-out within two years the use of antibiotics in animal feed that are also important to human medicine such as penicillin.

Supporters say it still leaves farmers many antibiotics that are not used in human medicine. The bill also authorizes funds to help farmers defray the cost of phasing out the use of medically-important antibiotics.
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Similar bills were introduced in previous Congresses but never made it to the floor of the respective Houses, but proponents think they have a better chance this year in a Congress controlled by Democrats.

 

[Ben H]

Non-therapeutic antibiotics have no place in my management. I don't even use Ionophores because that's how my customers want it. The only reason I would not support a bill not allowing non therapeutic antibiotics is because then I would loose one piece of marketing advantage.

 

[Ben H]

This isn't going away, it was in this weeks BEEF Cow-Calf weekly newsletter

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) introduced the "Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act." Slaughter said, "When we go to the grocery store, we should expect that the food we buy will not inadvertently expose our families to dangerous strains of resistant bacteria. However, the practice of over-using antibiotics in raising livestock -- even when animals are not sick -- is one of the leading contributors to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As a result, our risk of exposure to increasingly stronger bacteria is becoming a frightening reality."

According to Slaughter, this legislation would:
Phase out the non-therapeutic use in livestock of medically important antibiotics, unless their manufacturers can show they pose no danger to the public health;

Require this same tough standard of new applications for approval of animal antibiotics;

Provide for federal payments to farmers to defray their costs in switching to antibiotic-free husbandry practices, with a preference given to family farms;

Authorize grants for research and demonstration programs on means to reduce the use of antibiotics in the raising of livestock;

Require manufacturers to report the amounts of antibiotics they supply for animal use, the animals to which those drugs are given, and the uses for which those drugs are supplied.

Doesn't restrict use of antibiotics to treat sick animals or to treat pets and other animals not used for food.
Similar legislation was introduced in the Senate by Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C., correspondent

I can't believe nobody else has commented on this. Usually folks are all over issues where the government tells them how to feed or manage their animals.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

This isn't going away, it was in this weeks BEEF Cow-Calf weekly newsletter

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) introduced the "Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act." Slaughter said, "When we go to the grocery store, we should expect that the food we buy will not inadvertently expose our families to dangerous strains of resistant bacteria. However, the practice of over-using antibiotics in raising livestock -- even when animals are not sick -- is one of the leading contributors to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As a result, our risk of exposure to increasingly stronger bacteria is becoming a frightening reality."

According to Slaughter, this legislation would:
Phase out the non-therapeutic use in livestock of medically important antibiotics, unless their manufacturers can show they pose no danger to the public health;

Require this same tough standard of new applications for approval of animal antibiotics;

Provide for federal payments to farmers to defray their costs in switching to antibiotic-free husbandry practices, with a preference given to family farms;

Authorize grants for research and demonstration programs on means to reduce the use of antibiotics in the raising of livestock;

Require manufacturers to report the amounts of antibiotics they supply for animal use, the animals to which those drugs are given, and the uses for which those drugs are supplied.

Doesn't restrict use of antibiotics to treat sick animals or to treat pets and other animals not used for food.
Similar legislation was introduced in the Senate by Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C., correspondent

I can't believe nobody else has commented on this. Usually folks are all over issues where the government tells them how to feed or manage their animals.

Your right Ben, i wonder if most on here think that it is mostly for chickens and pigs and won't affect them.

 

[Ben H]

I know what assuming does, but I'm going to do it anyway. I assume that this would include "medicated" calf starter and milk replacer.

One question is would Ionophores be considered an antibiotic in this bill?