Categories: News
Date: Jan 9, 2012
Title: FDA ANNOUNCES NEW RESTRICTIONS ON ANTIBIOTICS
On January 4, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an order that prohibits certain use of the cephalosporin class of antimicrobial drugs in cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys effective April 5, 2012. But just before, on December 22nd, they withdrew a long-held plan to regulate antibiotics in livestock feed.
According to the FDA, the new order on cephalosporins aims at preserving the effectiveness of drugs for treating disease in humans. Prohibiting these uses is intended to reduce the risk of cephalosporin resistance in certain bacterial pathogens.
"We believe this is an imperative step in preserving the effectiveness of this class of important antimicrobials that takes into account the need to protect the health of both humans and animals," said Michael R. Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods, in the FDA press release
Meanwhile environmental and consumer groups have condemned the US Food and Drug Administration's move to renege on its long-held policy to regulate the use of human antibiotics in animal feed. In an article in The Guardian the groups also criticised the timing of the announcement, which was made during the holiday season and disclosed only in the federal register.