The concern with antibiotics is that the organism the drug is supposed to kill may develop a resistance to the drug and make it more difficult or maybe impossible to treat. This resistant disease can then be spread to others. Some microbes can even transfer from animal to man (called zoonosis). In Canada and elsewhere, we use antimicrobial drugs to treat sick animals, prevent disease, and to enhance production. This contributes to safe and wholesome food from healthy animals, reducing human exposure to pathogens, promoting health and well being of animals, and reducing the cost of food production. The increase in demand for food animal products will result in an increased demand for animal health management tools (including antimicrobials). The Veterinary Drugs Directorate is beginning to look past the chemical residues in meat to include microbial safety. Some needs include a coordinated surveillance system for antimicrobial resistance in the major pathogens affecting food animals, regulation of antimicrobials to consider the human health impacts of resistance, and to assess federal and provincial jurisdiction regarding the sale and use of antimicrobials in animals. An on farm food safety program should be designed to address antimicrobial issues. The Animal Nutrition Association of Canada has developed a HACCP based program that has audit controls for its members, commercial feed manufacturers. The CFIA is in the process of establishing a mandatory HACCP-based regulation for the manufacture of medicated feed on farm and in commercial mills.