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FDA hopes to curb antibiotic use on farms

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By Jacque Wilson and Jen Christensen

(CNN) — The Food and Drug Administration Wednesday will announce a plan aimed at phasing out the use of certain antibiotics in food-producing animals, saying it contributes to “the development of antimicrobial resistance.”

The agency is “working to address the use of ‘medically important’ antibiotics in food-producing animals for production uses, such as to enhance growth or improve feed efficiency,” according to its website. “These drugs are deemed important because they are also used to treat human disease, and might not work if the bacteria they target become resistant to the drugs’ effects.”

The plan will explain how animal pharmaceutical companies will work with the FDA to phase out antibiotics use.

It’s the FDA’s latest move targeting food production and quality. Last month, the agency took a step toward potentially eliminating most trans fats from the food supply.

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