WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) disbanded a group of outside experts retained as special government employees to offer their opinions on animal drug and food issues, the agency announced Nov. 22.

FDA said other opportunities for input rendered the Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee (VMAC) unnecessary. The committee has met only six times in the last decade, with the most recent meeting held in 2010. During that period, CVM has held public meetings on specific regulatory issues such as the proposed Preventive Controls for Animal Food rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act and antibiotics use in animal agriculture.


CVM said it public input is encouraged through theFederal Registerand other calls for public comment.