Recommendations to the FDA Regarding the Use of Antibiotics in Food Animal Production

Issue Brief Read time:
Recommendations to the FDA Regarding the Use of Antibiotics in Food Animal Production

The American Medical Association, American Association of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, World Health Organization and other medical and public health organizations recognize the need to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics in people, as well as in animal agriculture. It is estimated that up to 70 percent of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used on industrial farms in healthy food animals, to promote growth and to compensate for the effects of overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. This practice promotes the development of deadly strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can spread to humans.

As a result of the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, on June 3, 2009, the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming provided the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with recommendations for a range of proposals that could be carried out to improve the efficacy of vital human antibiotics and reduce the serious health threat of antibiotic resistance. Informed by the results of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, the recommendations cover the areas of regulatory clarity and expanding surveillance.

Download the PDF to read the full set of recommendations.

Downloads HHIFIBRecommendations_for_FDA_FactSheet
Downloads HHIFIBRecommendations_for_FDA_FactSheet
America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

MORE FROM PEW

An aerial view of a vast wetland, with scattered vegetation visible on sandy islands. In Western Australia, a Conservation Model for the World
A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
A large group of people in formal or traditional attire stands together on a stage, with a digital background depicting marine life and the large text “WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.” WTO Needs to Redouble Its Effort on Fishing Subsidies
A man in a winter hat and sunglasses kneels on a rocky shoreline in front of a campfire, holding a metal mug with gloved hands. Behind him, in the water, a motorboat is moored to the shore. Cliffs rise on both sides of the water. Why Newfoundland’s South Coast Fjords Are Sacred
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View
Pills illustration

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.