Pew Charitable Trusts: “The Food and Drug Administration announced an important milestone today in efforts to ensure that antibiotics are used responsibly in food animals. The agency said that all affected companies have voluntarily complied with Guidance for Industry #213 that called for them to make two key modifications to the labels of medically important antibiotics used in these animals by Jan. 1:

• Change the marketing status of antibiotics administered via animal feed and water so that use of these drugs now requires the oversight of a licensed veterinarian and are no longer available over the counter.
• Remove “growth promotion” indications, meaning it will no longer be legal to give antibiotics to healthy animals for the purpose of “enhancing feed efficiency”—or gaining weight.

The successful implementation of this guidance marks a fundamental shift in how antibiotics can be given to animals in the U.S. and is indicative of the growing consensus that antibiotics should be used only when necessary and appropriate to protect animal health. Still, more work remains to be done and Pew looks forward to working with FDA on the next steps the agency identified in its announcement…”