Antibiotic use in Agriculture: Last Year’s News and This Year’s Updates

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its much-anticipated annual report, the 2020 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals, in mid-December.  It shows that sales of medically important antibiotics for use in cattle, swine and poultry dropped only 3% between 2019-2020 after increasing the two prior years. Overall sales dropped 27% from 2011 through 2020, a welcome reduction, but in order to meaningfully address antibiotic resistance we need to see at least a 50 percent reduction from those levels. That would put the U.S. on par with actions already taken in the United Kingdom and the European Union. Unfortunately, the 2020 data shows efforts to reduce antibiotic use have stalled. 

The FDA report highlights how well the chicken industry is doing versus other meat producers. Out of all medically important antibiotics sold for agricultural use, chicken production accounts for 2%, compared to 41% for both cattle and swine, and 12% for turkey. 

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in any context can lead to the development and proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. NRDC and the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy released a joint analysis that compared sales of medically important antibiotics in the United States for use in livestock production and human medicine. It showed that antibiotic sales for use in human medicine have stayed relatively consistent since 2009, even decreasing slightly in 2017. The combined sales of medically important antibiotics for pigs and cattle are 55% higher than sales of those same drugs in human medicine. Overall, medically important drug sales for livestock are nearly double those for human medicine.

With encouragement from PIRG and the Antibiotics Off the Menu coalition, Wendy’s committed to end all routine use of medically important antibiotics in its meat supplies by the end of 2030. Although the company should aim to achieve the goal more quickly, Wendy’s commitment to a timeline is a major step in the right direction.

The European Union’s legislation eliminating routine antibiotic use in farming went into effect at the start of 2022. The new regulation restricts meat producers from routinely giving animals antibiotics to compensate for poor living conditions, and from using them to prevent disease in healthy animals (except in special circumstances where risk of infection is high). The EU’s action to combat antibiotic resistance sets an important example that we hope the United States will emulate. 

In 2018, McDonald’s committed to set reduction targets for antibiotic use in its beef supply chains by the end of 2020. That deadline came and went with no progress reported, so PIRG launched an effort last year to encourage McDonald’s to fulfill its commitment. We’ve mobilized McDonald’s consumers, health professionals and other stakeholders to urge the company to move forward, including a letter signed by over 120 healthcare professionals and another signed by leading consumer, health and food groups. Still, no progress.  

As 2022 moves forward, we will continue to hold the fast food giant accountable to its promise to reduce antibiotic use in its beef supply chain. As an industry leader, action by McDonald’s should prompt the fast food industry to help end routine antibiotic use in beef production.