from grist: In December, the FDA revealed for the first time that every year 29 million pounds of antibiotics are fed to animals — often through the dangerous technique of administering low-dose, growth-promoting hormones to livestock via their feed. In total, that figure represents 80% of all antibiotics used in the US. As Grist has covered extensively, there is broad scientific consensus that this practice creates antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” that threaten both animals and humans.

Although the report clearly states, “[t]he use of antibiotics in animals poses a potential human health risk,” the two agencies have not put adequate systems in place to either track or assess the risks of antibiotics overuse. The few systems that do exist are problematic and lack teeth.