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FDA calls for limiting antibiotic use in livestock production
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called on pharmaceutical companies to help limit the use of antibiotics in livestock, a decades-old practice that scientists say is leading to the spread of dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria.
Antibiotics such as penicillin are routinely added to feed and water to help livestock and poultry gain weight and stay healthy. Scientists have warned that the practice is leading to the growth of antibiotic-resistant germs that can be transmitted to humans.
The FDA has been trying to solve this problem for decades, but it has been quite difficult, since until now the powerful agricultural lobby has managed to convince legislators that without drugs, including antibiotics, meat production in modern conditions is impossible.
In its new guidelines, the FDA recommends using antibiotics “judiciously” and only when necessary to keep animals healthy. The agency also plans to establish a rule that the drugs can only be used with a prescription from a veterinarian. Currently, farmers can buy them without a prescription.
"Now these manufacturers will be advised by veterinarians, and we think that will be one of the important elements that will ensure that these drugs are used appropriately," said William Flynn, deputy director of the FDA's Center for Animal Health.
The FDA guidelines are advisory, and the agency has asked drugmakers to set the necessary restrictions on a voluntary basis. Pharmaceutical companies would have to change the labeling of their antibiotics to prevent the drugs from being used for commercial purposes, such as increasing the weight and growth of animals, which saves farmers money by reducing feed costs.
An estimated 80 percent of all antibiotics produced in the United States are used in livestock. Neither the industry nor the government tracks what percentage of these drugs are used for weight gain, but many experts believe the vast majority are used for nonmedical purposes.
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