Media and Press Inquiries

If you are a member of the media, and wish to learn more about KAW and our work please contact:

Steven Roach, Safe and Healthy Food Program Director

Food Animal Concerns Trust (KAW coalition member and staffing lead) 

(773) 525-4952

sroach@foodanimalconcerns.org

 Thank you for your interest.

Below is our archive of previously issued Letters, Statements and Press Releases from Keep Antibiotics Working:

March 19, 2024: KAW letter to the FDA Commissioner signed by 8 organizations.

March 19, 2024: KAW additional comments to the FDA on Guidance for Industry #152 on assessing the risk of antibiotics resistance for food animal drugs.

January 19, 2024: KAW response to the FDA’s Center For Veterinary Medicine Environmental Scan.

January 5, 2024: Comments on Food and Drug Administration Draft Guidance for Industry Defining Durations of Use for Approved Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs Fed to Food-Producing Animals submitted on behalf of 9 KAW and ally organizations.

December 20, 2023: Food Animal Concerns Trust comments to the Presidential Advisory Council on Combatting Antibiotic-Resistance pointing.

December 13, 2023: Comments submitted on behalf of 11 KAW and ally organizations urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess antibiotic resistance associated with the use of pesticides in the U.S.

November 6, 2023: KAW comments signed by 6 member organizations on the CDC’s National One Health Framework To Address Zoonotic Diseases.

October 30, 2023: KAW comments signed by 11 partner organizations on the FDA’s proposed framework for a public-private partnership to collect antibiotic use data on farms.

July 26, 2023: KAW recommendations on the FDA’s second 5-year plan to address antibiotic resistance and improve antibiotic stewardship in animals.

May 19, 2023: KAW Comments on the FDA’s revised Draft Guidance for Industry: Evaluating the Safety of Antimicrobial New Animal Drugs With Regard to Their Microbiological Effects on Bacteria of Human Health Concern.

May 8, 2023: KAW letter signed by FACT and 3 partner organizations urging the the Department of Interior and the United States Geological Survey to continue gathering critical data on antibiotic, pesticide, and fungicide use in crops.

April 20, 2023: Letter submitted to HHS Secretary Becerra signed by 25 organizations urging his immediate leadership and action to address the antibiotic resistance crisis.

April 17, 2023: Comments submitted by KAW to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce requesting that the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act better incorporates a One Health approach that addresses health equity and that specifically addresses antimicrobial resistance.

March 17, 2023: Comments of FACT and Natural Resources Defense Council to the Presidential Advisory Council on Combatting-Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria illustrating the Food and Drugs Administrations delays in responding to the antibiotic resistance crisis.

January 24, 2023: KAW member lawsuit against the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and its Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), challenging the refusal to phase out unnecessary uses of antibiotics in animal agriculture. 

December 19, 2022: Comments from Keep Antibiotics Working on the FDA’s Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA) reauthorization draft recommendations emphasizing the need for post-marketing surveillance of approved drugs.

September 23, 2022: KAW comments to the FDA supporting the Guidance for Industry on remote regulatory assessments to enhance monitoring and inspections.

September 13, 2022: KAW comments urging the USDA to support a national target for reducing antibiotic use, implement on-farm disease surveillance, and prioritize on-farm research focused on minimizing antibiotic use.

August 22, 2022: KAW comments to the FDA on establishing a system to collect antimicrobial use data in food-producing animals.

July 18, 2022: Recommendations to White House Conference on Hunger Nutrition and Health signed by 8 ally organizations.

April 10, 2022: Letter from 64 ally organizations to the FDA Commissioner, Dr. Califf urging his leadership to protect public health and take measures to control antibiotic overuse in agriculture and limit the spread of antibiotic resistance.

February 28, 2022: Comments to FDA Commissioner, Dr. Califf, signed by 17 ally organizations urging the FDA to immediately ban the carcinogenic and mutagenic swine antibiotic carbadox.

February 25, 2022: KAW comments to the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) requesting the Council adequately address AMR as an integral part of pandemic preparedness.

November 29, 2021: KAW comments to the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) requesting the Council address two gaps in the national response to AMR.

November 24, 2021: Letter to McDonald’s signed by 57 ally organizations urging McDonald’s to follow through with its public commitment to curb antibiotic overuse in its beef supply chain.

November 22, 2021: KAW Thank You to Secretary Becerra for meeting with members of Keep Antibiotics Working to discuss the threat of antibiotic resistance.

October 27, 2021: KAW comments to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on our recommendations for a comprehensive surveillance system to track antibiotic use on farms.

October 8, 2021: KAW comments to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) outlining our recommendations on their proposed framework for advancing surveillance for COVID-19 and other emerging zoonotic diseases.

October, 2021: Keep Antibiotics Working Celebrates 20 Years of Advocacy Brochure.

August 10, 2021: Comments to the FDA signed by 32 KAW and colleague organizations regarding our recommendations for the reauthorization of the Animal Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA).

August 2, 2021: Food Animal Concerns Trust comments regarding the National Institutes of Health request for Information on Drinking Water Contaminants of Emerging Concern for the National Emerging Contaminant Research Initiative.

June 25, 2021: KAW comments to the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) requesting the Council hold the FDA accountable to addressing antibiotic resistance.

June 11, 2021: KAW statement applauding FDA’s action to require require prescriptions for all medically important antibiotics used in animals.

June 11, 2021: KAW and colleague organization comments on FDA’s concept paper which outlines their potential approach for defining durations of use for medically important antimicrobial drugs.

May 25, 2021: KAW comments to the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) urging them to include specific actions related to antibiotic resistance as part of a national biodefense strategy.

May 21, 2021: KAW and colleague organization letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging his leadership in taking three main actions to combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance.

May 12, 2021: KAW letter to Acting FDA Commissioner Woodcock urging action on an unethical advertising campaign from drug-maker Zoetis promoting the extra-label use of the medically important antibiotic chlortetracycline (CTC).

March 16, 2021: Food Animal Concerns Trust comments regarding topical antimicrobials as they apply to FDA’s potential approach for the ranking of antimicrobial drugs according to their importance in human medicine.

March 16, 2021: KAW and colleague organization comments on FDA’s potential approach for ranking of antimicrobial drugs according to their importance in human medicine.

February 27, 2021: KAW and colleague organization letter to the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) asking the agency to prioritize the funding of research that reduces the need for antibiotics in cattle and swine through improved animal welfare practices.

September 14, 2020: KAW and colleague organization letter to FDA Commissioner Hahn seeking continued agency action to stop the overuse and misuse of antibiotics on farm.

September 14, 2020: KAW and colleague organization letter to the USDA Agricultural Research Service asking the agency to focus antibiotic resistance research on looking for farm management changes that reduce the need for antibiotics by improving animal welfare.

August 27, 2020: KAW and colleague organization letter to Representative Schakowsky thanking her for securing antibiotic stewardship provisions in H.R. 7608 which included this year’s Agricultural Appropriations bill.

August 20, 2020: KAW letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services asking them to more fully monitor and address antimicrobial use and resistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 26, 2020: KAW recommendations for congressional pandemic response HELP committee White Paper. See the original White Paper Here.

May 18, 2020: KAW comments to EPA opposing new regulations that would undermine how EPA regulates pesticides including antibiotics.

May 4, 2020: KAW letter to FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine on methods the Center can use to improve antimicrobial stewardship and the threat of AMR and move forward with FDA’s 5-year plan.

February 10, 2020: KAW comments to the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) requesting the Council to seek information from the FDA on the agency’s data collection efforts.

December 23, 2019: KAW comments supporting FDA draft guidance #263, which makes all over-the-counter medically important antimicrobial drugs prescriptions.

November 18, 2019: Op-Ed in the Chicago Sun Times by KAW head, Steve Roach and IL PIRG’s Abe Scarr on the critical nature of antibiotic preservation.

November 15, 2019: KAW letter to CDC, FDA, and USDA signed by 11 organizations seeking more action and coordination addressing the risk of fluoroquinolone resistant Salmonella.

August 28, 2019: Letter from fifty organizations seeking more action from FDA on antibiotics.

August 23, 2019: Literature Review on the role of durations on antibiotic resistance, which was shared with FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.

March 4, 2019: KAW letter to CDC requesting improved communication around resistant foodborne illness outbreaks.

February 5, 2019: Letter from over 150 medical professionals urging the FDA to eliminate the over-the-counter use of the last resort drugs polymyxins.

January 19, 2019: KAW comments opposing the approval of the antibiotic streptomycin to prevent disease in citrus trees.

October 15, 2018: KAW letter to FDA’s Science Board asking for improvements in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System.

September 17, 2018: KAW letter to FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine with suggestions on methods for adjusting antibiotic sales data based on animal biomass.

September 13, 2018: KAW members request FDA to adjust antibiotic sales data based on animal biomass.

May 24, 2018: US PIRG, Consumers Union, and FACT petition McDonald's to reduce antibiotics in their beef supply, delivering more than 160,000 petitions.

February 23, 2018: KAW members request for public health protections in re-authorization of fee program for animal drugs

December 15, 2017: KAW members request the USDA to not reduce or eliminate funding that addresses antibiotic resistance

December 15, 2017: KAW members request pharmaceutical company Zoetis to voluntarily withdraw the FDA's approval for drug use in food animals that contain drugs in the polymyxin class

December 7, 2017: KAW responds to 2016 antibiotic sales data that shows first decrease to the food animal industry since 2009

November 15, 2017: KAW members support WHO Guidelines as appropriate response to global human health threat

November 7, 2017: Food Animal Concerns Trust's Steven Roach reacts to the WHO Antibiotic Guidelines

September 27, 2017: Chain Reaction III Report: More Than Half of Top 25 Restaurant Chains Commit to Responsible Antibiotics Use in Chicken, But Progress on Beef and Pork Still Lags

August 25, 2017: KAW Statement by Steven Roach on McDonald's Global Vision to reduce antibiotic use in chicken products

August 24, 2017: Consumers Union praises McDonald’s plan to limit antibiotics used by its global chicken and beef suppliers

August 24, 2017: Center for Food Safety: McDonald’s Shares its Vision for Global Phase-out of Critical Antibiotics

August 23, 2017: NRDC: McDonald’s New Antibiotics Plans A Step in Right Direction

August 23, 2017: U.S. PIRG: McDonald’s Changes Meat Supply Guidelines to Stem Spread of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

December 5, 2016:  Superbugs resistant to carbapenbems found for first time in US Swine

September 20, 2016: New Antibiotics Scorecard: Restaurant Chains Restricting Use in Chicken Doubled in 2016

May 9, 2016:  KAW's Letter to FDA on Monitoring the Sale and Use of Agriculture Antibiotics

December 10, 2015:  KAW's Statement on FDA's 2014 ADUFA Data

September 25, 2015:  White House Report Card on Addressing Antibiotic Use

September 15, 2015:  Scorecard Statement on Restaurant Chains and Antibiotics

September 1, 2015:  Groups Respond to Subway on Antibiotics

June 2, 2015:  KAW's Statement on the VFD and White House Summit

May 22, 2015:  KAW's Statement on Walmart's new antibiotic policy

May 19, 2015:  KAW's Statement on the reintroduction of the DATA Act

April 28, 2015:  KAW's Statement on Tyson's Antibiotic Use Plan

March 26, 2015: KAW Statement on the President's Antibiotic Plan

March 5, 2015: KAW Applauds McDonald's New Antibiotics Policy on Poultry

September 18, 2014: KAW Disappointed in Long Awaited Antibiotics Report from President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)

July 24, 2014: FDA Not Required to Ban Industry Misuse of Antibiotics in Food Animals, Appeals Court Rules

June 30, 2014: KAW Applauds American Medical Association for Adopting more Stringent Policy on Reducing Antibiotics in Food Animals

May 22, 2014: Global action on antibiotics urged by new global civil society coalition

March 26, 2014:  KAW responds to updated Guidance Document 213

March 14, 2014: KAW Applauds Senator Elizabeth Warren

December 11, 2013: KAW Disappointed in FDA’S Long-Delayed Guidance 213

October 10, 2013: In Face of Major Drug-Resistant Salmonella Outbreak, KAW Calls on Obama Administration and Congress to Address Crisis of Antibiotic Resistance

September 16, 2013: KAW Applauds CDC Recommendations to Help Curb Growing Problem of Antibiotic Resistance

June 27, 2013: KAW Hails Introduction Of Vital Legislation To Protect Antibiotics And Our Health

May 22, 2013: KAW Applauds Senate Farm Bill Amendment to Increase USDA Research into Antibiotic Use on Farms

May 9, 2013: KAW Hails Introduction of Senate Legislation Aimed at Improving Transparency in Public Reporting of Antibiotics Used in Farm Animals

March 20, 2013: Keep Antibiotics Working Faults Senate Panel For Rejecting New Transparency Measures On Animal Drug Sales

March 14, 2013: Keep Antibiotics Working Hails Reintroduction of Vital Antibiotics Protection Legislation

February 6, 2013: New FDA Data Show Continued High Level Of Antibiotics Use On Farms.