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Sales of antibiotics used on livestock are dropping but usage remains high

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

February 15, 2019

2 Min Read
livestock
deyanarobova/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s annual report on the sales of antimicrobials for use in livestock animals, released in December, found sales decreased 33 percent from 2016 to 2017 and that overall, sales have declined by 28 percent since 2009 (the first year of reported sales). Antimicrobials, according to the World Health Organization, are a broader drug classification that includes antibiotics and treatments for parasites and viruses as well.

Health advocates and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have long argued that routine practice of using antimicrobials in livestock has contributed to the rise of bacteria resistant to modern medicines in our arsenal for treating infection. 

According to the nonprofit advocacy group the Natural Resources Defense Council, there’s still a long way to go to address the issue of antibiotics resistance. In 2016, antimicrobials sold for use in livestock accounted for nearly triple the amount of antibiotics sold for humans.

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In 2017, that ratio dropped to less than double. While the numbers are getting better, NRDC senior attorney Avinash Kar said use in livestock animals is still 64 percent — a solid majority — of total antimicrobials sales in the United States, according to data from pharmaceutical industry sales research organization IQVIA’s MIDAS analytics platform.

“We need to do much more,” Kar said. “The longer we wait, the bigger risk we take of reaching the point of no return [when bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics].”

Kar commended restaurant chains like KFC, Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, and McDonald’s for stepping up and committing to reduction of (or elimination altogether) of meat raised with antibiotics, particularly chicken. But Kar said the pork industry still has to catch up, especially since use of antimicrobials in chicken represents only 5 percent of total antibiotics usage in livestock, according to FDA data.

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]

Follow her on Twitter: @JoannaFantozzi

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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