Walmart To Ask Suppliers To Limit Anitbiotic Usage In Farm Animals

[Webster]

Oregon Live: Walmart To Ask Suppliers To Limit Anitbiotic Usage In Farm Animals

Walmart joined the campaign against overuse of antibiotics in farm animals on Friday, issuing guidelines that call on producers to use the drugs to treat sick animals or those at risk. It said it did not want its suppliers to feed antibiotics to animals to fatten them up for slaughter, a decades-old practice that scientists say has spread antibiotic resistance.

The company, the No. 1 grocery chain in the United States, asked its suppliers to administer the drugs with the oversight of a veterinarian and to file annual reports on antibiotic use. The company, with about 4,500 stores across the country, also asked producers to file an annual report on animal welfare. The guidelines call on producers to avoid raising animals in cramped spaces and to ensure that livestock are slaughtered humanely and do not suffer painful procedures.

The policy follows a demand from the public for the humane treatment of animals and worries about antibiotic resistance, the company said. "Our customers want to know more about how their food is grown and raised, and where it comes from," said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and senior vice president of sustainability. As the nation's largest grocer, Walmart is committed to using our strengths to drive transparency and improvement across the supply chain."

Consumer advocates said the announcement will put pressure on other retailers to follow suit. But critics said the guidelines don't go far enough. "It's undeniably great that Walmart recognizes that its customers want meat from animals raised in ways that sustain people, animal welfare and the environment," Dr. David Wallinga, senior health officer with the Natural Resources Defense Council, wrote in a blog. "We're also glad Walmart is at least giving a nod to responsible antibiotic use."

But Wallinga said Walmart's policy would not prohibit producers from routinely feeding animals low doses of antibiotics to prevention infection in crowded factory farms.

About 70 percent of antibiotics are sold for use in farm animals. The Food and Drug Administration has issued guidelines that would change labels, requiring veterinary oversight and banning use for growth promotion. Pharmaceutical companies, who've agreed to go along with the guidelines, have said the changes would not hurt their bottom lines.

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