The European public forced a ban on antibiotics as a feed additive, but the poultry industry there is using more antibiotics than ever, adding it to drinking water, says nutritionist Dr. Steve Leeson of the University of Guelph.
If the same happens in North America, it would be "a huge step backwards," because there is careful government regulation of antibiotics as feed additives, but virtually none for drinking water, he said.
European farmers obtain a veterinarian’s prescription, but after that there’s no supervision or regulation of what farmers are doing.