Antibiotic Stewardship - National Dairy FARM Program

Using antibiotics responsibly

The FARM Antibiotic Stewardship program area provides ongoing education for the dairy community on the responsible use of antibiotics to keep cows healthy and our milk supply safe.

FARM’s 2024-2025 Milk & Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual is the primary educational tool for dairy farms throughout the country on the judicious and responsible use of antibiotics, including avoidance of drug residues in milk and meat.

Updated biannually, the manual and accompanying pocket guide are convenient resources detailing which antibiotics and other drugs are approved for treatment of dairy animals.

Drug Residue Manual

For more than 30 years, the U.S. dairy industry has focused educational efforts on the judicious use of antibiotics through the biannual publication of a best practices manual. The 2024-2025 Milk & Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual is the primary educational tool for dairy farm managers throughout the country on the judicious and responsible use of antibiotics, including avoidance of drug residues in milk and meat.

The manual is a quick resource to review those antibiotics approved for dairy animals and can also be used as an educational tool and resource for farm managers as they develop on-farm best management practices necessary to avoid milk and meat residues.

The Milk & Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual and the associated pocket guide are sponsored by Zoetis.

Since 2011, 0 retail-ready milk products have tested positive for traces of antibiotics. All milk is screened for antibiotics and any load that tests positive for a drug residue is discarded and never sold.