An Impossible Balance: Antibiotic Resistance, Profits, and Public Health

Abstract

The scientific mechanism for the development of antibiotic resistance in microbes has long been understood, and has long cautioned against the use of low doses of antibiotics insufficient to treat disease thoroughly. Despite this, low doses of antibiotics have, for nearly half a century, been given to food animals to promote faster growth and greater feed efficiency. Though this raises public health concerns, a complex political landscape has historically prevented these public health concerns from dominating regulatory policy, and continues to do so. This paper examines the scientific, political, and legal issues associated with the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture, with particular focus on FDA’s historical and evolving role in regulating this issue, and concludes briefly with speculation about the future of this issue.