Some of the largest U.S. food processors and retailers, including Walmart, Cargill and Tyson Foods, are “urging Congress to build on investments in the Fiscal 2017 appropriations legislation that would help combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” says Feedstuffs.
In a letter, the businesses cite recent reports of resistance to last-resort drugs: “Combating this threat and avoiding a world without effective antibiotics will require increased and sustained federal investments in biomedical research, public health infrastructure and surveillance.” The administration has proposed $42 million for the FDA’s antibiotic programs in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
The FDA is nearing the end of a three-year phase-out of the use of medically important antibiotics to promote weight gain in cattle, hogs and poultry. The agency wants permission to gather information on the use of antibiotics in each species of major food animals. At present, its reports show sales or shipments of antimicrobials for livestock but not actual use.