Five years after U.S. representatives wrote to the USDA about the agency’s “unacceptable” response to Salmonella outbreaks traced to chicken, one of the lawmakers says déjà vu is not acceptable as a food safety policy.
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2015 in Review: Animal Antibiotics
It’s difficult to summarize what happened on the animal antibiotics front this year. There were lots of pledges, lots of discussions and lots of reports, but not very many actions. Still, we still wanted to
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Comments in on FDA’s Plan to Collect Species-Specific Antibiotics Sales Data
Public health advocates concerned about how antibiotics used on farms impact increasing resistance, have long expressed the need for more on-the-ground data – particularly use by species. In May, the Food and Drug Administration proposed
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President Declares Federal Policy for ‘Responsible Use’ of Antibiotics in Food Production
According to a memorandum signed by President Obama on Tuesday, it is now the policy of the federal government to encourage responsible use of antibiotics in the production of meat and poultry. The memorandum supports
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FDA Proposes Collecting Animal Antibiotics Sales Data By Species
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to expand animal drug data to include information about species. Each year, the agency publishes a summary of the information animal drug sponsors are required to report
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Gillibrand Proposes Mandatory Recall Authority for USDA
After FRONTLINE’s documentary on Salmonella in poultry aired Tuesday night on PBS, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) officially introduced legislation to give the U.S. Department of Agriculture mandatory recall authority over contaminated meat and poultry. Gillibrand
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Critics Call White House Antibiotics Action Plan a ‘Missed Opportunity’ on Farms
The White House released its National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria on Friday, but some critics say it doesn’t do enough to tackle antibiotic use on farms. “Antibiotic resistance is one of the most
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Rep. Slaughter Reintroduces Preservation of Antibiotics Legislation
On Tuesday, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) reintroduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), which would ban non-therapeutic uses of medically important antibiotics in food animal production. “My legislation would save eight critical
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McDonald’s Plans to Phase Out Chicken Fed Medically Important Antibiotics
Fast-food giant McDonald’s announced Wednesday that, within two years, all of the chicken served at its 14,000 U.S. restaurants will come from farms which raised the birds without medically important antibiotics. The move could help
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FSIS Would Have Mandatory Recall Authority Under Proposed Bill
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is proposing legislation that would require recalls of meat and poultry contaminated with pathogens. “As it stands now, if foods like ground beef and sliced turkey are found to be unsafe,
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White House Wants to Nearly Double Funding for Antibiotic Resistance Fight
President Obama wants to nearly double — to more than $1.2 billion — federal funding for combating and preventing antibiotic resistance. The administration is expected to release its full 2016 budget proposal next week, but
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