231920 Saving antibiotics: What is the agriculture and food safety policy context?

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 9:30 AM - 9:50 AM

David Wallinga, MD, MPA , Food and Health Program, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), Minneapolis, MN
Jennifer Billig, MPA , Food and Health, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), Minneapolis, MN
     
In July 2009, the new leadership of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicated its commitment to reduce use of antibiotic growth promoters in food animals, which contribute to human resistance; Congress is considering new food safety legislation, as well as the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA). This presentation, by a physician working on the policy issues regarding the non-therapeutic use of agricultural antibiotics for a decade, will review the regulatory and legislative policy context, and the role for public health practitioners. He also will explore effective and affordable antibiotics as a public good, eroded by current policy which allows meat producers to use human antibiotics for nonessential economic purposes.

Learning Areas:
Basic medical science applied in public health
Environmental health sciences
Public health biology

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain two reasons why antibiotic resistance and increasing links to antibiotic use in food animals can be seen as contributing to social disparities in health.

Keywords: Food Safety, Animal Human Health Connection

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a physician working on the issue of antimicrobial use in livestock production for a decade
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5045.0: Food safety, social disparities: Antibiotic resistance in the food system, A to Z