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FDA to hold ‘antimicrobial strategy’ meetings

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a series of five meetings this spring to discuss its strategy to reduce antimicrobial use in food-producing animals.

According to the FDA, the meetings will provide the public with opportunities to discuss and provide feedback on the challenges faced by livestock producers and veterinarians as FDA phases in veterinary oversight of the therapeutic use of certain medically important antimicrobials.

The first meeting will be on April 9^th in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  Subsequent meetings will take place in Olympia, Washington; Ft. Collins, Colorado; Pierre, South Dakota; and, College Station, Texas.

FDA said it is seeking input as it moves forward to further develop and implement its strategy to promote the judicious use in food-producing animals of antibiotics that are important in treating humans.

The agency says the meetings are intended to provide a forum to discuss potential challenges faced by animal producers in areas that may lack access to adequate veterinary services and to explore possible options for minimizing adverse impacts.

The meetings are jointly sponsored by FDA and the USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service.