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Groups Defend Drug Use in Food Animals

Livestock and poultry groups hosted educational briefings on Capitol Hill Tuesday to share the facts about the importance of tools like antibiotics in raising healthy food animals. Top livestock and poultry health experts from across the country presented information to attendees. The event was sponsored by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Chicken Council, National Pork Producers Council, National Milk Producers Federation, National Turkey Federation, American Meat Institute and National Meat Association.

Dr. Guy Loneragan, an epidemiologist at West Texas A&M University, told those gathered that maintaining access to FDA-approved safe and effective technologies, including animal health products, helps ensure both the health and resource efficiency of U.S. herds and flocks.

According to Dr. Leon Weaver, a veterinarian and dairy farmer from Montpelier, Ohio, the U.S. dairy industry conducts more than 3.3 million tests each year on all milk entering dairy plants. So far, only less than one tanker in 3,800 tests was positive for any animal drug residues, including antibiotics.