U.S. FDA to phase out some antibiotic use in animal production • Hacker News Board

Re: U.S. FDA to phase out some antibiotic use in animal production

#61

Post by chaostheory » Thu, Dec 12, 2013, 3:01 AM UTC

mronge wrote: post #21

chaostheory wrote: post #17

This guidelines are just voluntary? What's the point? "'Our fear ... is that there will be no reduction in antibiotic use as companies will either ignore the plan altogether or simply switch from using antibiotics for routine growth promotion to using the same antibiotics for routine disease prevention,' said Steven Roach, senior analyst with advocacy group Keep Antibiotics Working."

My understanding with FDA guidelines is they are always "voluntary" only in name. Companies effectively have to comply or the FDA will crack down very hard on the company.

I really doubt it. The FDA is heavily influenced by whatever administration is in power and administrations are heavily influenced by lobbyists.

This is why it's a voluntary guideline.

Re: U.S. FDA to phase out some antibiotic use in animal production

#62

Post by jeffheard » Thu, Dec 12, 2013, 4:46 AM UTC

I think this is when my granddad would say, "A day late and a dollar short."

Re: U.S. FDA to phase out some antibiotic use in animal production

#63

Post by yetanotherphd » Thu, Dec 12, 2013, 5:43 AM UTC

huragok wrote: post #25

asciimo wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately, cow milk is only useful as a human beverage.

I see a new market for milk baths!

Yeah, but then everyone will want organic milk baths, so they won't be able to use the milk for that either

Re: U.S. FDA to phase out some antibiotic use in animal production

#64

Post by lifeisstillgood » Thu, Dec 12, 2013, 8:04 AM UTC

For me the big issue is the phrase "animal production".

Not farming, rearing, husbandry, but straight to the point factory industrial production.

Re: U.S. FDA to phase out some antibiotic use in animal production

#65

Post by aforty » Thu, Dec 12, 2013, 1:17 PM UTC

bmj wrote: post #23

nate_meurer wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Shit, this may not apply to the dairy industry however. I found this on an organic dairy website http://www.oberweis.com/web/milk.asp : "Organic certification requires that milk be discarded for 12 months after antibiotic use. This has the unfortunate side effect of making a sick cow such a financial burden to a farm that it must frequently be killed. When this happens, organic farmers generally milk the sick cow (an…

Does anyone have any statistics on how many dairy cows are killed per year because of this? I suspect we are looking at a lesser-of-two-evils scenario: would you rather have a small number of cows culled each year because of sickness, or a large number of cows living in feedlots and pre-emptively given antibiotics because of squalid living conditions?

This. Would be nice to have some stats but I suspect you're right.

Re: U.S. FDA to phase out some antibiotic use in animal production

#66

Post by cglace » Thu, Dec 12, 2013, 2:31 PM UTC

po wrote: post #58

cglace wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't there something more useful they could do with that milk than pour it away?

I think 'wasting' it is good. Once you find something useful for it, it perverts the incentives. A sick cow should be considered a complete waste with no benefit.

I think there is a lot of ground between pouring something down the drain and it being worth its weight in gold.