Source:  Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 7/27/09

A coalition of agricultural groups is urging the Speaker of the House to keep a ban on antibiotics for animals out of pending legislation.

In a letter to Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the Coalition for Animal Health, a group that includes the American Meat Institute, asked that the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (H.R. 1549) is not tacked on to any pending legislation, such as the food safety bill or the health care reform bill.

H.R. 1549 generally would eliminate the use of "non-therapeutic" antimicrobials in food-producing animals unless the drugs can be proven to pose no danger to human health.

The legislation aims to address a reported increase in antibiotic resistant illnesses. However, the coalition notes that risk assessments, including the FDA's own, have demonstrated very low risk levels associated with antibiotic use in agriculture. Nationally recognized scientific studies also have shown that the elimination of such key medicines could raise food-safety risks.

"The food safety bill and the health care reform bill are based on the important principle of prevention," the Coalition wrote. "It would be ironic and inconsistent to add an amendment that would remove important tools for disease prevention used in veterinary medicine."

To view the letter, click here. 

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