Those of you who came to Fair Food Fight Night last week got to hear about antibiotic use in agriculture first hand, so this is timely: The Food and Drug Administration is joining the growing of politicos who see the writing on the wall forlivestock-antibiotics. From the AP today:
The Food and Drug Administration is urging meat producers to limit the amount of antibiotics they give animals in response to public health concerns about the drugs.
The FDA said the use of antibiotics in meat poses a “serious public health threat” because they create antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can infect humans who eat the meat. The agency is recommending that producers use the drugs judiciously, limiting their use unless they are medically necessary and only using them with the oversight of a veterinarian.
By no means is this a “victory.” It’s just a recommendation, after all. But it’s the sort of action that could well breathe life into Rep. Louise Slaughter’s PAMTA legislation which would rein in the use of antibiotics in agriculture. That bill has stalled a bit recently. Two weeks, I spoke to communciations rep from her office who expressed mild frustration that the number of lawmakers signing on to PAMTA had slowed.
With the FDA making this official position known, it’s a very good time to contact your own lawmakers to see if they have signed on to support PAMTA, if you haven’t done so already. Mention the FDA’s position when you do.
So how is this different than what we’re doing currently?
Like I said, it’s nothing but a recommendation from the FDA. What would be dramatically different is passing the PAMTA legislation.