Five Fun Facts about Veterinary Drugs

The use of veterinary drugs in the food industry is a hot topic for consumers and regulatory agencies. The public is becoming increasingly concerned with the routine use of antibiotics, hormones, beta-agonists, and many more compounds in food production due to the potential effects on human health. Most commonly affected by these drugs are foods we eat weekly, including meat, milk, and eggs. Check out our “fun” facts below to learn more about veterinary drugs and the food industry.

#1 Some of the first “cures” used on animals had very interesting names, such as Lee’s Gizzard Capsules, Liquid Hog Medicine, and Kow-Kure. While the effectiveness and safety of these drugs were unconfirmed, and the ingredients used are unknown, they at least had snappy names.

#2 Like drugs for humans, veterinary drugs must be approved by the FDA before they can be put on the market. The drug manufacturer must provide evidence, e.g., data from clinical trials, etc., that the drug is safe for use on the intended animal.

#3 One of the main concerns about the use of vet drugs is the possibility that their overuse, or “off-label” use, will cause the targeted organisms to become resistant to treatments. Drug-resistant organisms, aka “Superbugs,” originating in food animals, could be transmitted to humans where treatment can be very difficult because of the bacteria’s ability to survive courses of multiple antibiotics leading to very sick individuals.

#4 Besides treating sick animals, many drug types have handy side effects like increasing growth rate, decreasing blood-letting time after slaughter, improving pig and calf meat color, and promoting muscle leanness. All of these decrease the cost of production and increase the amount of product available to meet demand.

#5 Regulatory agencies, such as the USDA, the FDA, and international regulatory authorities, have set strict standards on withdrawal times and maximum residue levels in the final product going to market. The withdrawal period is the interval between the last treatment dose in an animal and the time when the animal is eligible for slaughter. This also applies to milk; milk from cows being treated or within the withdrawal period of a vet drug must be discarded.

Fun facts are great, but allowing Mérieux NutriSciences to be your full-service provider for veterinary drug testing is even better! In various food matrices, we provide reliable testing for over 100 veterinary drugs (hormones, beta-agonists, NSAIDs, antibiotics, etc.). Depending on your customizable needs, we offer single or multi-screening methods (LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS). Reach out today for more information on how you can start testing your meat or dairy products.