Antibiotics are necessary and important medications - preventing and combating dangerous infections in humans and animals alike. Unfortunately, for this reason, they often wind up in the meat that you buy at the store or the meat you consume in restaurants, sometimes to your knowledge - but usually not.

However, a Consumer Reports poll released last week showed that a majority of Americans want meat raised without antibiotics to be sold at their local supermarket, and more than half of those surveyed would be willing to pay more for that guarantee. The mood in this country is changing, and it's time for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to join the party.

Antibiotic overuse in animals is concerning for a number of reasons. First, it has the potential to create "superbugs" that are immune or resistant to antibiotics, which is problematic in animal populations and could be catastrophic for humans.