In March of 2013, a bill was proposed that could mean significant change in the use of antibiotics: the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA). According to the Center for Science and Democracy, this bill, “within two years of enactment…would require the Food and Drug Administration to re-review the approvals it previously issued for animal feed uses of the seven classes of antibiotics that are important to human medicine. The approvals would be canceled for any antibiotics that are found to be unsafe from a resistance point of view.”
There has been very little comment from the FDA regarding this bill; in fact, it’s doubtful whether they are reviewing it at all. According to Louise Slaughter, the U.S. representative who introduced it, the only feedback she has received is that the FDA would discuss it in “three more years.” And no wonder, because 88 percent of the lobbying on this bill so far has been from CAFO’s (Confined Animal Feeding Operations, a.k.a factory farms) and from meat corporations who are against it. Even though many consumers and special interest groups support this bill, the meat providers – the ones who actually have the power to stop antibiotic overuse – are actively fighting against it, and they have more sway over the final decision.
Show your support for this bill!
There has been very little comment from the FDA regarding this bill; in fact, it’s doubtful whether they are reviewing it at all. According to Louise Slaughter, the U.S. representative who introduced it, the only feedback she has received is that the FDA would discuss it in “three more years.” And no wonder, because 88 percent of the lobbying on this bill so far has been from CAFO’s (Confined Animal Feeding Operations, a.k.a factory farms) and from meat corporations who are against it. Even though many consumers and special interest groups support this bill, the meat providers – the ones who actually have the power to stop antibiotic overuse – are actively fighting against it, and they have more sway over the final decision.
Show your support for this bill!