Sanderson Farms vet shares views on sustainability, antibiotic-free and FDA’s new antimicrobial guidelines

Antibiotic-free poultry production is creating ethical conflicts for veterinarians while raising questions about sustainability, animal welfare and the industry’s ability to feed a growing population, says David French, DVM, of Sanderson Farms.

And while he supports FDA’s efforts to curb the use of antibiotics deemed medically important to humans, he notes that Sanderson and most other major poultry producers were “concerned about judicious use of [these] antibiotics long before there was legislation” or new guidelines.