The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday that it is taking steps to remove a common veterinary drug, carbadox, from the market due to concerns about its potential cancer risk to humans who consume pork products. Carbadox is a drug commonly used in American pork farms to combat infections and promote the growth of pigs.

The FDA's decision comes after nearly a decade of investigation into the safety concerns surrounding carbadox. The agency had initially approved the drug in 1998, but there have been ongoing fears about its potential to cause cancer in humans. In a 2016 news release, the FDA stated that "potential cancer risks are based on an assumed lifetime of consuming pork liver or other pork products containing carbadox residues."

While the FDA did not recommend immediate changes to food choices, it cautioned that "carcinogenic residues" from carbadox could potentially contaminate foods such as hot dogs and lunchmeat. The agency determined that the testing method used to assess the cancer risk from pigs fed the drug was inadequate, and recent data supported the need to take action.

It is worth noting that other countries, such as the European Union and Canada, had already prohibited the use of carbadox in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to similar concerns about residues and worker safety. Advocacy groups have criticized the FDA for delaying the ban in the United States, accusing the agency of yielding to industry interests.

Phibro Animal Health Corporation, the manufacturer of carbadox, expressed disappointment in the FDA's decision and claimed that it is not based on "solid science." The company, which promotes carbadox as the industry standard for antimicrobials in pigs, argued that it has been actively engaging with the FDA and providing alternative methods used in other countries.

The National Pork Producers Council raised concerns about the potential economic impact of pulling carbadox from the market. They claimed that millions of pigs could be lost, resulting in an estimated cost of $5.3 billion over the next decade. The council emphasized the significance of carbadox in treating gastrointestinal diseases in pigs and stated that without it, farmers would need to resort to other antibiotics that could contribute to antimicrobial resistance in humans.

Phibro has the opportunity to request a hearing with the FDA to challenge the removal of carbadox. The deadline for the request is December 7. The company has not confirmed whether it plans to pursue this option but stated that it will take appropriate action to defend the use of carbadox in protecting pig health.

As the FDA moves forward with its plan to pull carbadox from the market, it remains to be seen how this decision will impact the pork industry and the overall food safety landscape. The agency's priority is to ensure the well-being of consumers and reduce potential risks associated with the consumption of pork products contaminated with carbadox residues.