The Center for Science in the Public Interest has filed a lawsuit against USDA over what they say is the agency’s failure to act on one of their petitions. The petition urges the Food Safety and Inspection Service to deem antibiotic resistant salmonella as adulterants in ground beef and poultry.  National Cattlemen Beef Association’s Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall says CSPI is an extremist group whose aim is to get rid of all antibiotics whether they’re useful or not.

Woodall says CSPI doesn’t understand the importance of antibiotics in keeping farm animals healthy and providing consumers a safe food supply. He says if they’re successful in eliminating all antibiotics they’ll sacrifice food safety.

Woodall says CSPI also claims antibiotic use in agriculture is responsible for antibiotic resistance in humans which isn’t true.