The Institute of Medicine committee was unable to find a substantial body of direct evidence that established the existence of a definite human health hazard from low levels of penicillin and tetracyclines. The Institute of Medicine report recommends extensive research to strengthen the data base used to assess human health risks from antibiotic treated livestock feeds. The primary use of subtherapeutic levels of antibiotics in feed occurs in densely populated poultry and swine operations. Infectious disease is controlled, growth rates are improved, and feed is more efficient when antibiotics are used in these operations. This figure, especially for confined operations, is very conservative.
Antibiotic use is essential to produce poultry and pork by current methods.
If subtherapeutic uses of all antibiotics were banned, producers would experience slower animal growth rates and more disease caused deaths. Production costs would rise substantially. Higher production costs would mean an increase in the cost of meats, particularly pork and poultry. A ban on selected antibiotics, such as penicillin and tetracycline, would have less effect on meat and poultry production costs than would a total ban.