A coalition of more than 60 health, environmental, consumer and animal welfare organizations has filed a citizen petition urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to withdraw approvals allowing medically important antibiotics to be used for disease prevention in food-producing animals.
The petition argues that the routine use of antibiotics in livestock feed and water contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can affect human health. The petition asks the FDA to eliminate approvals for disease-prevention uses of medically important antibiotics, limit long-duration administration of those drugs, improve data collection and establish antibiotic-use reduction targets for the livestock sector.
According to the organizations, antibiotic-resistant bacteria contribute to approximately 35,000 deaths and 2.8 million illnesses in the U.S. each year. The groups contend that the unnecessary use of antibiotics in livestock production creates conditions that allow resistant bacteria to develop and spread through food, water, air and other pathways.
The petition argues that antibiotics administered through feed and water are often used across entire herds or flocks for disease prevention rather than to treat diagnosed illnesses. Petitioners cite scientific studies and public health authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that have linked agricultural antibiotic use to the development and transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
In a press release, Peter Lehner, managing attorney for Earthjustice Sustainable Food and Farming, said the FDA has allowed the practice to continue despite what he described as extensive scientific evidence regarding its public health implications.
“For decades, pharmaceutical and meat corporations have prioritized profit and hidden the consequences of their practices on human health, animal welfare, and the environment,” Lehner said. “The FDA is obligated to ensure that drugs given to animals do not harm humans. Yet, despite overwhelming scientific evidence, the FDA has allowed this practice to continue.”
Lehner further argued that routine antibiotic use allows livestock to be raised in crowded conditions and said many farmers and ranchers have demonstrated that animals can be successfully raised with little or no routine antibiotic use.
The coalition estimates that approximately 34 million pounds of antibiotics are used annually in livestock feed and water, making animal agriculture the largest single user of antibiotics in the U.S. The petition claims that the continued use of medically important antibiotics in food animals threatens the effectiveness of medicines relied upon for surgeries, chemotherapy, organ transplants and treatment of serious infections.
Petition highlights low use
While the petition is critical of routine antibiotic use, it also cites examples in the livestock sector where producers operate with substantially reduced antibiotic use.
The document notes that although the beef and swine industries account for a significant share of antibiotic sales, many producers already use little or no antibiotics through feed or water. According to a USDA study cited in the petition, more than half of U.S. feedlots reported using no antibiotics in feed, including more than 30% of the nation’s largest feedlots. USDA data also showed that more than 20% of nursery pig operations reported no antibiotic use in feed, while more than 30% reported no antibiotic use through water. Petitioners argued these figures demonstrate that lower-use production systems are already operating successfully within the industry.
The coalition is asking the FDA to determine that routine antibiotic use in animal feed and water for animals without a diagnosed illness does not meet the agency’s safety standards. Specifically, petitioners are requesting that the FDA withdraw approvals for disease-prevention uses of medically important antibiotics and prohibit group administration of those drugs for more than 21 days in many situations.
The petition also calls on the agency to begin collecting and publicly reporting more detailed antibiotic-use data by species and production sector. Petitioners contend that current reporting systems provide limited insight into how antibiotics are being used across different segments of animal agriculture. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
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