Dr. Marianne Ash, Director of Bio-security and Emergency Planning for the Indiana Board Of Animal Health, was raised on a livestock farm in Carroll County, IN and understands how livestock producers use antibiotics, something she says most consumers and policy makes do not understand.

“They do not appreciate that, in livestock production, producers do everything they can not to use antibiotics because they are expensive.” Ash told HAT myths and misconceptions are at the core of consumers’ fears about drug use in food production.

Gary Truitt of Hoosier Ag Today writes legislation in Congress and new proposed rules by the Food and Drug Administration are designed to regulate drug use by livestock producers. Dr. Ash says the science does not support the elimination of these drugs in food production.