22.08.2011

The use of antibiotics in the production of food animals elicits polarizing opinions across the media today as consumers become more aware and interested in the way their food is produced. While livestock producers have realized that significant animal illness can be avoided by the use of antibiotics, consumers are being told that any use of antibiotics leads to a lower effectiveness of antibiotics in humans.
Although there have been several debates and discussions on this issue, the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) is planning a national forum in which experts in animal agriculture, researchers in the area of livestock health, and experts in human health will come together to have a dialogue about the use of antibiotics in the sustainable production of food.
The forum, titled Antibiotic Use in Food Animals: A Dialogue for a Common Purpose, is scheduled to be held at the Hotel InterContinental O'Hare in Chicago, IL on October 26-27, 2011.