After a magistrate judge ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must act on its long-standing proposal to ban the use of three antibiotics in animal feed because they may contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, FDA is appealing the decision. In a notice dated May 21, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine Bernadette Dunham and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius together filed an appeal with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the March decision.
The ruling came after a coalition of 5 nonprofit organizations filed a suit demanding that FDA take action on an announcement it made 35 years earlier in 1977 that it would ban the use of penicillin and two types of tetracycline in animal feed in light of evidence that this practice was contributing to antibiotic-resistant strains of human pathogens. If upheld, the decision will mandate FDA to follow through with drug company hearings that it must conduct in order to determine whether these drugs are indeed a threat to human health. If the antibiotics are found to be dangerous to humans, FDA must see that they are withdrawn from the market for use in animal feed.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
An analysis of official controls in Norway and Iceland has revealed effective oversight overall with some recurring weaknesses.
Norway and Iceland are part of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
Bongkrekic acid and the illegal use of a substance to give the appearance of fish freshness were examples of emerging risks discussed in a recent report about problems in Europe
The majority of countries are finding implementing food safety culture controls difficult, according to a European Commission survey.
The report looked at the state of food safety culture controls in
Ireland’s largest Listeria outbreak and plans to introduce a food hygiene rating system are among the highlights of the Irish food agency’s annual report.
According to the Food
Almost 30 people have fallen sick in Spain after eating an egg-based dish.
Public health officials in Eibar helped to identify cases, analyze the outbreak's potential source,
Jaime’s Foods ATX of Austin, TX, is recalling Jaime’s Spanish Village Jalapeno Ranch because it contains undeclared eggs.
People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to eggs
Shanghai Ravioli Corporation of Boston, MA, is recalling 24,900 pounds of frozen, not ready-to-eat (NRTE) buffalo chicken products that were produced without the benefit of inspection, the
Indus Foods LLC, doing business as Gangothri Foods, an Austin, TX, firm, is recalling 1,626 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) pickled goat and chicken products that were produced
