Antibiotic-resistant superbugs are on the rise as overuse of antibiotics raises the risk of microbes evolving resistance and eventually spreading to humans.

The plan, announced 11 December, is intended to limit the use of antibiotics to treat sick animals, and the elimination of drugs to promote faster growth. "It is important to use these drugs only when medically necessary," the FDA said on its website. They are asking companies that produce drugs for animals to voluntarily change their labels, no longer advertising improved growth and feed efficiency from antibacterial drugs.

Salmogenics™, Global Green’s patented Salmonella vaccine for poultry, meets the FDA’s policy of phasing out antibiotics on farms. Antibiotics are frequently used on farm animals to promote growth. Studies showed that Salmogenics helped chickens increase in weight without the use of any antibiotics. The Salmogenics vaccine is injected into the egg, before the chick is hatched, improving the immune system, health and welfare of the chicken from the first day of age, cost-effectively providing a healthier source of protein for humans.

Dr Mehran Ghazvini, DC, NMD, Chairman and CEO, stated "Poultry growers are diligently working with the FDA. We recognise their commitment and their efforts to produce healthy protein sources for consumers."

"One of the reasons antibiotics are overused is due to the benefit of the chicken gaining weight. In our studies, we showed Salmogenics can help chickens gain .126 pounds more weight per chicken which is equal to 5 billion 40 million more pounds of chicken worldwide. I believe we have the solution to this problem to help growers meet the FDA requirements to use the antibiotics just to defend against the disease," Dr Ghazvini concluded.

The European Food Safety Authority announced that antibiotics have been widely used in animal production for decades worldwide. The Commission decided to phase out, and ultimately ban in 2006 the marketing and use of antibiotics as growth promoters in feed. This decision was based on opinions from the Scientific Steering Committee, which recommended the progressive phasing out of antibiotics used for growth stimulation, while still preserving animal health.

CNN reported that farms consume about 80 per cent of the nation’s antibiotics supply. About 29.9 million pounds of antibiotics were sold in 2011 for meat and poultry production, compared to 7.7 million pounds sold for human use, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Preferring a voluntary approach, the FDA wants to hear from companies within three months about their plans to change labels and will give them three years to put them in place.