A lawsuit has been filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), Public Citizen, and Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) against the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for failing to prevent the overuse of antibiotics in food animal production.
The suit claims that the FDA has unlawfully failed to take action to protect the public's health despite its recognition for decades that the low dose use of penicillin and tetracyclines in healthy animals can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can lead to life-threatening infections in people. The group is calling on the FDA to withdraw its approval for most nontherapeutic uses of those drugs in animal feed.
"When we started Applegate in 1987, producing meat products with respect for the animals, land and farmers was the foundation of the company, which ultimately led to a commitment to raising animals without nontherapeutic antibiotics," said Stephen McDonnell, founder and CEO of Applegate, a producer of organic and natural meats and cheeses.
"Despite conventional wisdom, Applegate has grown year after year, proving that livestock can be raised humanely and without depending on antibiotics," McDonnell said, adding,"Applegate's success is proof positive that using these drugs on healthy animals is not necessary to remain competitive."