Congreswwoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) sent a letter to President Obama asking that he “pay special attention to the issues of antibiotic resistance” at this week’s G-8 summit in Northern Ireland. Rep. Slaughter also urged the president, as she has before, to consider stronger limits on antibiotics allowed to be used in animal agriculture. In a press release, Slaughter’s office noted that Britain’s Science Minister David Willetts recently raised questions about the overuse of antibiotics in food animals and its contribution to the worldwide antibiotic resistance crisis. The only microbiologist in Congress, Slaughter has been pushing her bill, the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), which would prohibit the routine use of eight classes of antibiotics that are important for human health in order to preserve the effectiveness of the drugs. “This is an issue of grave concern to me given my background in microbiology and public health, and it ought to be of concern to all of us who bear the responsibility for protecting the public,” wrote Slaughter in a letter sent last week. “We are frittering away one of the greatest medical advancements of all time – the development of the antibiotic – by allowing its overuse on farms with otherwise healthy animals.” “As our friends and trading partners move forward with more aggressive countermeasures to this growing public health crisis, I fear that America will find itself at a disadvantage that will impact not only our public health and the lives of our people, but also our ability to trade our products,” she added. “I urge you to listen to your colleagues this week as this matter is discussed. I look forward to an open dialogue with you about the conversations and the next steps.” See the full letter here.
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.
Rwanda has lifted a ban on some South African food products that was put in place in 2017 because of a Listeria outbreak that sickened more than 1,000 people.
Plaintiffs suing the state of Florida in an effort to overturn the state’s emergency ban on 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) are listed on the court documents as: K.T.
With so much news bombarding them, most consumers don’t realize that U.S. agriculture has reached a “pivotal moment” in its history. No, we’re not talking about production
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
The Better Bakehouse Snack Company is recalling certain lots of Donutful Chocolate Dipped Vanilla Cake Donuts because the product may contain undeclared milk.
People who have an allergy or severe
Exotique Foods Inc. of Ontario, Canada, is recalling Momchipz Veggie Chips Broccoli Florets & Cauliflower because they may contain undeclared wheat.
People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to
A former contractor has admitted offenses relating to faking food safety inspections in England.
Lily Yirenkyi was appointed as a temporary Environmental Health Officer (EHO) by Thurrock Council in 2020.
