Importance of Veterinary Drug Residues

Food animal production over the last 50–60 years has significantly increased with the implementation of modern genetics, breeding, husbandry, and nutrition. During this same time period, livestock producers have relied on the use of veterinary drugs as one of several strategies to ensure economic viability of the industry. This introductory chapter briefly reviews the role of drugs in modern livestock production, quality assurance programs, adverse human health effects of drug residues, and economic impact of these residues to the livestock industry. The United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010 provided guidance on the judicious use of antimicrobial drugs in livestock and recognized that failure of antimicrobial therapies in humans can be related to human and animal use of antimicrobials among other factors.