GAO Report Criticizes Animal Antibiotics, Food Safety Data

By Mike Rozembajgier

According to a new government report, federal regulators can do a better job of monitoring how antibiotics are being used by livestock producers. As the FDA and USDA review the findings, all sectors of the food industry should pay close attention to the ongoing debate about antibiotic resistance and be prepared with a comprehensive recall management plan should the need arise.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report titled “Agencies Have Made Limited Progress Addressing Antibiotic Use in Animals” that found that both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are not gathering the comprehensive statistics needed to understand the relationship between antibiotic use in livestock and a possible decrease in the future effectiveness of the drugs for both livestock and humans.

Risks associated with an increase in antibiotic-resistance tied to the widespread use of the drugs in livestock have long worried consumer advocates and regulators. These groups are concerned about the potential for bacteria to develop immunity to critical antibiotics. According to consumer advocates, these strains would also be more likely to pass through inspections and pose health threats to consumers thereby increasing the potential for massive food-related outbreaks and subsequent food recalls.

One such incident should be fresh in the mind of every food industry professionals. This past August, international food producer Cargill issued a recall of 36 million pounds of ground turkey after samples were found to be contaminated with an antibiotic-resistant strain of Salmonella that caused hundreds of illnesses and one death. Within a few weeks, Cargill found itself issuing another recall for 185,000 pounds of turkey after inspectors again found the same strain of salmonella.

According to the GAO report, the FDA collects data on the quantity and types of antibiotics used on livestock, but not on which animals get various types of antibiotics. The USDA monitors data on antibiotic resistance for different animals, but fails to provide a comprehensive nationwide outlook.

The GAO argues that the lack of a comprehensive overview that connects the dots between the different sets of information should be a red flag for the food industry, which cannot rely only on government data to assess risk and avoid recalls.

In a statement following the release of the report, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), said that the “study reveals how unprepared we are to deal with the growing threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria and the American public should be outraged.” Slaughter went on to reference the recent Cargill recalls, noting that “we have had two massive meat recalls just in the last month showing salmonella strains resistant to antibiotics.”

We expect that regulatory agencies will take the GAO report seriously and we would advise all sectors of the food industry to keep an eye on the continuing debate over antibiotic resistance and how it will influence future policy. It would be wise to be prepared now with a comprehensive recall management plan that takes into account the possibility that a recall driven by antibiotic resistant pathogens may be required in the future.

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