WHO guidelines on antibiotic use in animals create debate

Nov 09, 2017

Recommendations group together drugs that promote growth with those that prevent disease

Staff Reporter

Farms.com

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement asking the agri-food industry to stop the routine use of antibiotics that aid growth and prevent disease in healthy animals.

The organization also published guidelines which “present evidence-based recommendations and best practice statements on the use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals,” according to its website.

However, the chief scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not agree with the recommendations.

“The WHO guidelines are not in alignment with U.S. policy and are not supported by sound science,” Chavonda Jacobs-Young, acting chief scientist with the USDA, said in a government release. “The recommendations erroneously conflate disease prevention with growth promotion in animals.”

Current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy advises producers against using medically important antibiotics to promote growth in animals, Jacobs-Young said.

But the FDA allows producers to use antimicrobial drugs to treat, control and prevent disease under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian.

The WHO’s suggested guidelines would place unrealistic constraints on the professional judgement of these veterinarians, Jacobs-Young said.

Despite the disagreement, the USDA remains “committed to addressing antimicrobial resistance in people and animals,” Jacobs-Young said in the release.

“We will continue to work with the WHO, World Organization for Animal Health, and Food and Agriculture Organization to promote antibiotic stewardship to avoid the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.”

Farms.com has reached out to the USDA for further comment.

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.