The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has updated and released the latest version of the Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual just in time for the beginning of the Center for Disease Control’s annual Get Smart About Antibiotics Week. The manual is one of the key components of the National Dairy FARM Program, and can be accessed for free here.

The manual offers a concise review of appropriate antibiotic use in dairy animals, and acts as a valuable educational tool for farm managers working to develop the best management practices necessary to avoid milk and meat residues.

“We know that there is increased attention to the use of medicines in livestock, and in order to maintain the ability to use those products to treat sick animals, we have to demonstrate that we are using them judiciously,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF. “This newly-revised manual represents the ongoing commitment dairy farmers have to using antibiotics responsibly and prudently.”

Additions to the 2016 version focus on antimicrobial stewardship: A new section on avoiding potential residue violations from extra-label drug use in an unapproved class of cattle, cephalosporin extra-label use prohibitions, and an updated drug and test kit list have all been added to the 2016 manual, along with a new certificate of participation that can be signed by a producer and his/her veterinarian to demonstrate their commitment to the proper use of antibiotics.