A coalition of the state’s leading health and environmental groups, food producers, and food retailers today announced their support for a bipartisan bill to fight the emerging public-health crisis of antibiotic-resistant infections by reducing antibiotic overuse in meat and poultry production.

The 12 state groups announced their support for the bill, “The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2003” (S. 1460/H.R. 2932), at a news conference at O’Naturals restaurant in Portsmouth. They also urged Senate Health Committee Chair Judd Gregg to cosponsor the bill and take a leadership role to help pass it promptly.O’Naturals restaurants, founded by Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm President and CEO, serves food made with all-natural and organic ingredients and produced without the use of antibiotics.