The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) issued a news release this week responding to the publication of  U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) documents in the Federal Register pertaining to the reduction of antimicrobial use for food-producing animals.  Under the new, voluntary initiative, certain antibiotics would not be used for production purposes, such as to enhance growth or improve feed efficiency in an animal.  These antibiotics would still be available to prevent, control or treat illnesses in food-producing animals under veterinary supervision. A three year “phase-in period” would elapse before these changes become effective. The dates of the phase-in period are currently unspecified.

Lora Berg 1, Editor

April 13, 2012

2 Min Read
NPPC  Responds to FDA Antibiotic Stance

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) issued a news release this week responding to the publication of  U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) documents in the Federal Register pertaining to the reduction of antimicrobial use for food-producing animals.  Under the new, voluntary initiative, certain antibiotics would not be used for production purposes, such as to enhance growth or improve feed efficiency in an animal.  These antibiotics would still be available to prevent, control or treat illnesses in food-producing animals under veterinary supervision. A three year “phase-in period” would elapse before these changes become effective. The dates of the phase-in period are currently unspecified.

NPPC  says the anticipated loss of and restricted access to products that may occur with implementation of the FDA guidance on the use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry production likely will disproportionately affect small producers, have a negative effect on animal health and increase the cost of producing food while not improving public health.

First proposed in June 2010, the FDA guidance issued this week calls for antibiotics that are “medically important” to humans to be used in animals only when necessary to assure their health. FDA will work with animal health companies to help them voluntarily discontinue the sale to livestock and poultry producers of antibiotics that are labeled only for nutritional efficiency. Additionally, all antibiotics that are in classes used in human medicine will need to be used under a veterinary feed directive (VFD).

“The guidance could eliminate antibiotics uses that are extremely important to the health of animals,” said NPPC President R.C. Hunt, a pork producer from Wilson, N.C. “And the requirement for VFDs could be problematic, particularly for smaller producers or producers in remote areas who may not have regular access to veterinary services.”

The guidance, which does not have the force of law but may be treated as such by FDA, is a move to address an increase in antibiotic-resistant illnesses in humans, which opponents of modern animal agriculture blame on the use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry production.

But numerous peer-reviewed risk assessments, including at least one by FDA, show a “negligible” risk to human health of antibiotics use in food-animal production.

“FDA did not provide compelling evidence nor did it state that antibiotics use in livestock production is unsafe,” said Hunt, who pointed out that the agency already has authority to withdraw unsafe products. “Pork producers work with veterinarians to carefully consider if antibiotics are necessary and which ones to use, and we use them to keep animals healthy and to produce safe food.”

The agency did state that disease prevention, control and treatment uses of antibiotics in livestock production are therapeutic and essential to protect animal health, and those label claims will not be affected by its guidance. FDA also will work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to understand the implications of the VFD on underserved areas.

About the Author(s)

Lora Berg 1

Editor, National Hog Farmer

Lora is the editor of National Hog Farmer. She joined the National Hog Farmer editorial team in 1993, served as associate editor, managing editor, contributing editor, and digital editor before being named to the editor position in 2013. She has written and produced electronic newsletters for Farm Industry News, Hay & Forage Grower and BEEF magazines. She was also the founding editor of the Nutrient Management e-newsletter.

Lora grew up on a purebred Berkshire operation in southeastern South Dakota and promoted pork both as the state’s Pork Industry Queen and as an intern with the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. Lora earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from South Dakota State University in agricultural journalism and mass communications. She has served as communications specialist for the National Live Stock and Meat Board and as director of communications for the University of Minnesota College of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences. During her career, Lora earned the Story of the Year award from the American Agricultural Editors’ Association and bronze award at the national level in the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ competition. She is passionate about providing information to support National Hog Farmer's pork producer readers through 29 electronic newsletter issues per month, the monthly magazine and nationalhogfarmer.com website.

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