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FDA seeks voluntary restictions on antibiotics

The Food and Drug Administration is trying to get pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily stop providing antibiotics to promote livestock growth.

The Des Moines Register reports that FDA, in a recent meeting with consumer groups, indicated it is negotiating with one company to remove growth promotion as a labeled use for one of its antibiotics.  FDA officials told the consumer advocates that they prefer a voluntary approach over the lengthy legal process of restricting the drugs’ use.

The Obama administration earlier this year proposed to phase out the use of antibiotics to help hogs and other livestock grow more quickly.  The administration and some members of Congress are concerned that such usage is increasing the prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria that threaten human health. 

Producer groups say that restricting antibiotic usage would drive up production costs.  They argue that there is insufficient evidence that drug-resistant bacteria move from animals into food.