ADVOCACY GROUPS SUE FDA OVER ANTIBIOTICS IN MEAT

A number of consumer advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 25 alleging the agency has failed in its legal responsibility to address overuse of antibiotics in animal feed. The lawsuit has no bearing on the use of antibiotics for treating sick animals.

The complaint, filed by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT), and Public Citizen and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), seeks to force FDA to act on its own safety findings, which would involve withdrawing approval for antibiotic use in animal feed for non-therapeutic uses.