HARRISBURG, Pa - Concerns over animal antibiotics potentially getting into consumers' food prompted the federal government to pass a new law.
"The government created what we call a VFD or veterinarian food directive, and what that means is any livestock animal that is going to be fed an antibiotic in their feed or in the water as a water soluble will now have to have a veterinarian directive on how that goes into the feed," said Tom Pastor, Swine Industry employee.
The Food and Drug Administration says the law aims to prevent overuse of antibiotics. It feels overuse may have lead to disease-causing bacteria developing resistance to the widespread medical treatment.
"In most cases it is not that way to begin with. Producers do not want to have to use antibiotics if they don't have to. If their animals are healthy they are not going to use antibiotics. If we do have sick animals, there is a need to have antibiotics in the feed and that vet helps us determine that," added Pastor.