Antibiotics in animal feed

The Farm Policy weblog on Friday quoted the Des Moines Register's Philip Brasher:

"The government is coming under new pressure to curb the use of antibiotics on livestock farms because of concerns the drugs are losing their effectiveness in people.

"The American Academy of Pediatrics and three other organizations petitioned the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday to ban seven types of antibiotics from being fed to hogs, cattle and chickens for promoting growth or preventing disease.

"The groups say the drugs should only be used to treat animals that are actually sick."

Keith Good at Farm Policy adds his own doubts that antibiotics in animal feed are as important as overprescription of antibiotic medicine to humans.