US farms still using antibiotics which are ‘crucial’ for human health

The Guardian reports that tests on thousands of meat samples by the US Food Safety and Inspection Service show that there have been no reductions in the number of antibiotics since new regulations came into force in January 2017. The new regulations by the Food and Drug Administration made it illegal to use antibiotics solely to fatten up animals; which had been common practice on industrial farms.

It is important that antibiotics are not routinely used on animals (and therefore enter the food chain) because it increases human resistance to antibiotics.

Meat producers responded to the Guardian warning that restrictions of antibiotics could endanger animal welfare. A spokesperson from the North American Meat Institute said: “Antibiotic residues are extremely rare and meat is safe. To make any other sweeping public health conclusions from the residue testing data is inappropriate and irresponsible.”

However medical experts and pressure groups say that the findings showed more needs to be done and meat companies should pressure farms to reduce antibiotic use.

The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics was co-founded by Sustain and campaigns to stop the overuse of antibiotics in animal farming. You can read their comparison of UK and US farm animal antibiotic use.