Coalition urges FDA to end routine antibiotic use in livestock
Groups say 34 million pounds used annually in feed and water
29 June 2026
1 minute read
By: A coalition of 65 health, environmental, consumer and animal welfare groups has filed a petition with the US Food and Drug Administration calling for an end to the routine use of antibiotics in food-producing animals, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.
The petition, filed last week, calls on the FDA to withdraw approval of medically important antibiotics administered in animal feed and water when not associated with a diagnosed illness. The groups are targeting antibiotic use for disease prevention and growth maintenance in poultry, swine, dairy cattle and beef cattle, arguing these uses are unnecessary and contribute to antibiotic resistance.
An estimated 34 million pounds of antibiotics are used in livestock feed and water in the US each year, according to the petition. The FDA has banned antibiotic use for growth promotion but still allows use for disease prevention in otherwise healthy animals.
"Antibiotics are still being used in livestock as a matter of routine rather than to treat diagnosed diseases — fuelling a resistance crisis that puts our health at risk," said Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumer Reports. "The FDA has both the tools and the obligation to act."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates drug-resistant bacteria contribute to about 35,000 deaths and 2.8 million infections in the US each year. Many antibiotics used in food-producing animals are also used in people.
The coalition is also calling on the FDA to mandate collection of species- and sector-specific antibiotic use data from US farms and to set reduction targets by livestock sector.
