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Antibiotic bill in Senate aimed at animal ag

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A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate called the “Prevention of Antibiotic Resistance Act” is directed at livestock agriculture production.

The bill, sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Susan Collins of Maine (and co-sponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York), would require the FDA to withdraw its approval of antibiotics “that are at high risk of abuse” unless the drug maker can demonstrate that their use in animal agriculture does not pose a risk to human health.

Those antibiotics that “meet the standard for prevention and control uses,” the authors say, “would be issued a revised label that supports prudent antibiotic use.”

They say the bill addresses a gap in the FDA’s guidelines in 2013 and “builds on efforts by the FDA to reduce antibiotic overuse in food animals.”  Senator Feinstein says she’s “pleased that farmers and their vets are working to adopt FDA rules.”

Animal ag industry experts say meat is tested for antibiotic residues and there is no proven risk of increased bacterial resistance in humans from eating meat products.

 

 

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