Regulation of Animal Antibiotic Use

Issue

How should the Minnesota Legislature or Department of Health respond to calls to regulate the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry?

Policy

• The Minnesota Chamber opposes state regulation that would limit animal production operations from using antibiotics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Such regulation would put these operations at a severe economic and productivity disadvantage to similar operations in other states.

• The federal government, through FDA reviews, approves and monitors the drugs and antibiotics used in the United States to ensure the products are both safe and effective. FDA requires sponsors to present data that demonstrate safety and effectiveness before the product is approved, and the FDA is required to remove products from market when scientific evidence demonstrates a threat to public health. Individual states, through their veterinary and medical boards, along with state pharmacy boards, regulate and monitor distribution consistent with federal law.

• FDA has reviewed the regulatory approval process for animal antibiotics. New guidance has been approved that will subject all new animal drug applications to new requirements to demonstrate that product approval will not affect public health through the transfer of antibiotic resistance. The new requirements also will be used to re-examine existing products.

• The state, through the University of Minnesota and the Department of Health, along with the veterinary and medical communities, should continue to research and monitor the use of antibiotics in humans and livestock, and continue to educate health professionals on judicious use, to ensure both the public health and the health of livestock.

Business Impact

State-imposed regulations would handicap Minnesota producers as compared with producers in other states, reducing their competitiveness and profitability. Prohibitions on use could negatively affect the industry’s ability to fight infectious diseases and maintain both human and herd health.

• Studies done by the Economic Research Service show that animal agriculture would be much less profitable without these important tools.

• Increased animal mortality and morbidity also would raise costs for producers. In Denmark, since the growth promotion use of antibiotics has been banned, the use of antibiotics to treat disease has increased 90 percent since 1996, indicating a dramatic rise in animal disease.