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."
