The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has released an updated version of its Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual – one of the key components of the National Dairy FARM Program.
In order to share the information widely with dairy farmers, the manual (PDF, 6.5MB) can be accessed for free online. This year’s manual includes additional information that focuses on ways the dairy industry can proactively engage in antimicrobial stewardship efforts.
The Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual offers a concise review of appropriate antibiotic use in dairy animals, and can also be used as an educational tool for farm managers as they develop their best management practices necessary to avoid milk and meat residues.
“We know that there is increased attention to the use of medicines in livestock, and in order to maintain the ability to use those products to treat sick animals, we have to demonstrate that we are using them judiciously,” says Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “This newly revised manual represents the ongoing commitment dairy farmers have to using antibiotics responsibly and prudently.”
Additions to the 2016 version include a section on avoiding potential residue violations from extra-label drug use in an unapproved class of cattle, cephalosporin extra-label use prohibitions, as well as an updated drug and test kit list.
The 2016 manual also includes a certificate of participation that can be signed by a producer and his or her veterinarian to demonstrate their commitment to the proper use of antibiotics.
The new manual was released at the beginning of Get Smart About Antibiotics week (Nov. 16-22), an event sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to emphasize the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use, for humans as well as livestock.
The dairy industry is committed to producing safe, abundant and affordable milk and dairy beef of the highest quality, Mulhern says. Healthy animals help make for safe food, and disease prevention is the key to keeping cows healthy. PD
—From National Milk Producers Federation news release
