Category Archives: FDA

In an effort to improve transparency about the amount of antimicrobials sold or distributed for use in food-producing animals, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing a proposal to provide additional data tables in its annual summary report of this information. The proposal is available for public comment until November 25, 2013.

The FDA’s Animal Feed Safety System (AFSS) Team has developed an easy to use Web page for information about safe feed. The new page went “live” in July, so it’s available and ready for use. The AFSS Team encourages members of the feed manufacturing or animal feeding industry as well as the general public to view the page and to provide feedback, such as ideas to improve the page’s design as well as suggestions for additional material that could be posted there.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) today praised Congress for approving legislation to reauthorize animal-drug review laws that will give pork producers access to products that safeguard animal and public health.

Representatives Schrader (OR-5) and Yoho (FL-3) introduced H.R. 1528, the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act, on Friday, April 12th. The bill, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to allow veterinarians to transport and dispense controlled substances in the field, was referred to the House Energy & Commerce Committee as well as the Judiciary Committee. At the same time, the Agriculture Committee has been very supportive and engaged on this issue.

Two leading Democrat members of Congress, Henry Waxman (CA) and Louise Slaughter (NY), introduced legislation this week aimed at providing more detail on the amount and use of antimicrobial drugs given to animals raised for food.

Thirteen senators from both sides of the aisle wrote to U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg this week asking the agency to collect more data on antibiotics used in food animal production.

On the heels of Cargill’s 36 million pound recall of ground turkey sparked by an antibiotic-resistant Salmonella outbreak, a group of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urging more oversight of antibiotics used in food animal production.

Four senators – three Democrats and a Republican – have introduced legislation that would restrict the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture.

The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has announced the availability of its National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Strategic Plan, a dynamic roadmap which outlines the program’s commitment to sustained food safety through monitoring and research.

Dr. Joshua Sharfstein of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in testimony before the House Rules Committee announced that FDA supports “ending the use of antibiotics for growth and feed efficiency in the United States.” Sharfstein also stated that FDA believes all medications used in animal agriculture should be “under the supervision of a veterinarian.” This is a major change in policy by the FDA.