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Bill To Ban Antibiotic Use In Livestock Introduced

Mar 23, 2009 9:11 AM, By P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C. correspondent

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) has introduced the “Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act” (PAMTA). This legislation bans the use of antibiotics in livestock that prevent or control diseases.

The bill would:

Phase out the non-therapeutic use in livestock of medically important antibiotics,

Require this same tough standard of new applications for approval of animal antibiotics and

Does not restrict use of antibiotics to treat sick animals or to treat pets and other animals not used for food.

Slaughter said, “There is little doubt that antibiotic-resistant diseases are a growing public health menace. From peanut butter to spinach to hot dogs, we all want to make sure the food we feed our families is safe. My legislation will limit the use of antibiotics on our livestock to ensure that we are not inadvertently creating antibiotic- resistant diseases that we can't fight with modern medicine."

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said, “This is irresponsible legislation. We are committed to maintaining the well-being of our animals, and we need access to a range of animal health products to keep our pigs healthy and, in turn, produce safe food products. This bill will prevent that, and we’ll see more pigs die and higher production costs, and that means consumers will pay more for pork.”

A 2000 survey of human health experts found that 96% of antibiotic resistance in humans is due to human use of antibiotics.

A little ammo

More and more, I run into self-proclaimed experts expounding on antimicrobial use in food animals. I don't suggest the food-animal industry doesn't have...