It’s a scary thing to think about: the meat industry giving antibiotics to livestock in order to increase food production and profit. But it happens all too often, and the result has been a serious impact on human health.

Decades of unnecessary drugs being pumped into our meat have caused a rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which means that when we get sick and really need antibiotics to fight disease, they’re not going to be as effective as they should. But recently the FDA made a decision that I think is a big, giant step in the right direction.

The agency issued new guidelines in an effort to motivate the food industry change its ways, basically stating that antibiotics should only be given to food animals to protect their health, and that the use of antibiotics in animals should always be overseen by a veterinarian. Bravo, FDA!

Even though it’s just the first step, it’s one that’s been a long time coming, and I’m definitely going to be watching to see what develops from the FDA’s decision.