ABSTRACT
Like humans, food-producing animals fall sick, suffer accidents, and need protection from disease. As a result, a whole range of drugs have been developed and used to help the veterinarian and the food animal producer to prevent and cure diseases. Drugs are also used at subtherapeutic levels in order to improve the efficiency of feed utilization and to promote growth of healthy animals so they can produce more meat, eggs, or milk on less feed. Drug usage in food-producing animals, however valuable for increasing livestock productivity it may be, is of particular concern because of the possible impact on human health. Benefit and risk analysis of drug usage has therefore become a topic of great importance to food animal producers, consumers, veterinarians, pharmaceutical firms, and regulatory agencies.
