While consumer concern over the widespread use of antibiotics in animal feed continues to rise, the FDA has become more secretive about providing the public with information regarding the sale of antibiotics for use in livestock feed, and it's resulted in a lawsuit filed by the Government Accountability Project.

Donald Kennedy, former FDA commissioner and president emeritus at Stanford University, is one of 150 scientists that have asked the FDA and Congress to look at the human health issues connected with the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture, and for both agencies to work together to resolve the critical situation.

A new report released by Consumer Reports finds that most Americans want meat products that are sold in supermarkets to be antibiotic-free. The report, titled "Meat On Drugs: The Overuse of Antibiotics in Food Animals and What Supermarkets and Consumers Can Do to Stop It," cites that 86 percent of those polled think antibiotic-free meat should be sold in major supermarket outlets, and more than one-third of those consumers would pay more money for it.

The NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) announced earlier this week that they've filed a Freedom of Information Act Lawsuit against the FDA claiming that the agency failed to disclose documents that could prove a significant human health risk exists when consuming animal products that contain high levels of antibiotics, which are routinely fed to livestock animals.

Intensity over the issue of antibiotic use in animal feed has been heating up over just how much the government should intervene. And a recent ruling by a federal court has crystallized the severity, ordering the FDA to take further action in efforts to protect public health from the repercussions of excessive antibiotic use. The overuse of antibiotics has led to a growing number of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and concerns about effective use of the drugs to treat serious human health issues.

After filing a lawsuit last year aimed at forcing action over excessive antibiotic use in livestock production, the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) has called the agency's recommendations an "ineffective response" for dealing with the alarming rise in antibiotic resistance, according to a statement released by the non-profit organization.

With more than 80 percent of the nation's antibiotic supply now going into feed for animals raised as food, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are rapidly threatening human health, and it's an issue that can no longer be ignored by the FDA, ruled a federal court judge earlier today.