[chaostheory]

This guidelines are just voluntary? What's the point?

"'Our fear ... is that there will be no reduction in antibiotic use as companies will either ignore the plan altogether or simply switch from using antibiotics for routine growth promotion to using the same antibiotics for routine disease prevention,' said Steven Roach, senior analyst with advocacy group Keep Antibiotics Working."

[anigbrowl]

One good aspect of this is that producers will able able to advertise their food as being raised without unecessary antibiotics. Many milk producers prefer not to use the growth hormone rBST, but because the FDA has no found any difference in the quality of milk between cows that are administered rBST and those that are not, producers who prefer not to use it have to put a disclaimer on their on their milk stating this FDA finding to prevent legal action from producers who do use that additive. With an FDA guideline saying 'better not to use antibiotics as a food additive' producers can draw consumers' attention to that fact without having to use defensive legal language that undercuts their message.

[mronge]

My understanding with FDA guidelines is they are always "voluntary" only in name. Companies effectively have to comply or the FDA will crack down very hard on the company.

[chaostheory]

I really doubt it. The FDA is heavily influenced by whatever administration is in power and administrations are heavily influenced by lobbyists.

This is why it's a voluntary guideline.

[krstck]

Food companies are usually following a more-strict standard set by their customers.

[krstck]

Many food industry quality control practices are effectively determined by consumer demand rather than the FDA/USDA. It's often that, as a manufacturer, your customer audit will be more intensive than the government one. The feds just don't have enough auditors to really keep a close look on anything but the most "at risk" plants, so the food industry is basically watching itself in a circular manner. Retail food establishments are auditing their suppliers, who are auditing their suppliers, and so on.