The vast majority of antibiotics are not used on people, but are fed to healthy animals to make them grow faster. This "non-therapeutic use" has been linked to an increase in antibiotic-resistant illnesses in humans.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree welcomed initiatives from the Obama Administration today aimed at reducing the use of human antibiotics in animal feed.
"This is a good start and I know the President is committed to the goal of eliminating these drugs from animal feed," Pingree said. "I'm glad the White House if following through on their promise to create policies that reduce the use of human antibiotics in animal feed. But the truth is, the best way to do that is for Congress to make it illegal."
Producers have increasingly used human antibiotics to promote rapid growth in farm animals. This "non-therapeutic use" (the animals are not sick) has been linked to an increase in antibiotic-resistant illnesses in humans.
"Every year, more and more Americans end up sick and even dying because human antibiotics have lost their effectiveness," Pingree said. "And we are pretty sure the widespread use of these drugs to fatten up farm animals is part of the reason they are becoming ineffective."
Pingree is the cosponsor of a bill that would ban the use of eight classes of medically important antibiotics from use on animals, except in very specific cases such as illness in in the animal.
Among the initiatives announced today, the White House and federal agencies will create a preference for non-antibiotic meat in their procurement policies, with the goal of phasing out antibiotics in meat served at the White House and federal agencies' cafeterias.
