Symposium: Antibiotics in Animal Feeds: Are There Viable Alternatives?

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance in microorganisms has become a significant problem worldwide. Although use of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGP) remains controversial, the data for implicating a direct link to human health hazards from feeding AGP remain uncertain. Nonetheless, the public sector is building pressure to outlaw the practice. Thus, it seems inevitable that the use of AGP will decline in the future. In view of this situation, this symposium was organized to briefly review the history of the issue, assess the current status, and examine possible AGP alternatives.Dibner and Richards provide readers with a review of AGP use in the commercial animal industry over the years as an overview of the history of legislation in the United States and Europe. In addition, they examine the biological basis for antibiotic effects on animal growth efficiency. Finally, they discuss possible replacement compounds for AGP and conclude that it is “… unlikely that a single replacement will be found that will prove to be economically viable.”By water reviews evidence that antimicrobial use in animal production has resulted in harm to human health and concludes that such evidence remains elusive. The author suggests that well-designed surveillance programs are essential in assessing the qualitative and quantitative risks associated with individual AGP agents.Anderson et al. consider the use of experimental chlorate preparations as a preharvest intervention technology to prevent the colonization of food producing animals with pathogens. Huff and co-authors examine the bacteriophage administration for controlling foodborne pathogens and Escherichia coli infections. Berghman et al. discuss...