July 2019 Articles

Archives by Months

Getting Prepared for Changes to Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Beef Industry

Getting Prepared for Changes to Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Beef Industry Heidi Ward, PhD, DVM, Assistant Professor and Veterinarian , University of Arkansas Antimicrobial stewardship and food safety go hand in hand. Since the Food and Drug Administration published the final rule for the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) in 2015, Extension and agriculture programs throughout the nation have worked diligently to educate producers and veterinarians on the importance of antimicrobial stewardship as it relates to animal welfare, meat residues and the potential development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Outreach efforts were eye-opening to both producers and educators as there is a perceived delicate balance between what is good for the individual animal and what is good for the business. Since 2015, Extension and other agriculture forums have allowed educators, producers, regulators and industry representatives to communicate with each other. As a result, the beef industry has become stronger with a better understanding of areas for improvement concerning antimicrobial use in beef production. Topics currently being addressed in regard to antibiotic use include product availability, labeling and veterinary oversight. The FDA maintains that the overall goal for their antimicrobial stewardship policies is to decrease the incidence of drug-resistant bacterial infections in humans and animals. The FDA also asserts that food animal welfare is very important and that antibiotics should continue to be used appropriately to treat or prevent illness. Because over-the-counter product labels are meant to be followed explicitly, livestock producers have traditionally been able to purchase and use antibiotics freely without any veterinary oversight. Rapidly increased incidence of resistant food-borne bacteria over the past 20 years initiated changes in FDA policies. The VFD brought antibiotics in feed under the supervision of veterinarians with injectable over-the-counter antibiotics remaining freely accessible. The FDA recently announced the goal of having all antibiotics used in animal agriculture to be under the supervision of veterinarians by 2023. The change from over the-counter to prescription is meant to ensure the labeled use of the drugs is followed. There is still much to be determined about the change in policy, such as veterinarian-prescribed extra-label use, which is why the FDA intends to offer an extended open comment period before publishing the final rule. Recently, widespread misinformation platforms have spawned a movement against using antibiotics in animal agriculture. Advocates for “no antibiotics ever” campaigns claim that antibiotics are used in animal agriculture primarily as a growth promoter and not for treatment of disease. Ironically, many of the production practices that these campaigns villainize have already been addressed voluntarily by the industry. In response to the VFD final rule going into effect in 2017, producers have adjusted by establishing veterinary client-patient relationships and developing better preventative health protocols for their cattle to help decrease the need for antibiotic use. Producers also stopped using antibiotics in feed as a growth promoter altogether. It is clear that the beef industry needs to get better at educating the public, but who should take up the challenge? The Beef Quality Assurance Program, which is a nationally organized program funded by Beef Checkoff dollars, has been advocating for responsible antibiotic use in beef production for decades. Because state BQA programs have been allowed complete autonomy of how they are organized and implemented, the effectiveness of state BQA programs have relied solely on the dedication and passion of their state leadership. As a result, many state BQA programs have been ineffective at getting their message out to the producers and consumers. This problem was addressed recently by national BQA leadership with the development of the national BQA learning center that allows producers nationwide access to free educational materials and online classrooms developed by experts from different sectors of the beef industry. National BQA also started offering state project grants that allow states to expand BQA initiatives through unique training opportunities. Events from this past year have placed a magnifying glass on BQA programs as several processors and retailers now require their suppliers to be BQA certified. One reason for the sudden change was the publishing of the 2016 National Beef Quality Audit, which identified food safety as the quality challenge with the highest priority. Currently, BQA certification is the best way to show consumers that producers are dedicated to providing the safest and most wholesome product possible. As the movement for transparency in agriculture continues, other programs may arise as marketing tools to convey antibiotic stewardship. Until then, beef producers are encouraged to voluntarily participate in stewardship programs to carry their part in improving the industry