Monday, March 26, 2012

Judge rules vs. antibiotics





United States farmers may soon have to stop using penicillin and tetracycline as growth promotants.

Judge Theodore Katz of Washington, D.C., has told drug manufacturers they must prepare to withdraw the antibiotics for use as growth promotants unless they can prove they are safe.

His decision came from court action launched by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The Council complained that the FDA made a move more than 35 years ago but failed to follow through with promised public hearings leading to the partial ban the Council seeks.

The NRDC claims "the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in animal feed can lead to the growth and spread of drug-resistant bacteria capable of infecting people."

The FDA issued a statement saying "we are studying the opinion and considering appropriate next steps."