Consumers worried about drug residues in their beef, pork, poultry and milk soon can feel better about their food, thanks in part to an innovative veterinary medicine educational program at UC Davis. Three years ago, in response to consumer concerns, an alliance of six veterinary and agricultural colleges -- called the Food-Animal Production Medicine Consortium -- began a food safety program in which farmers voluntarily put the prescribing and dispensing of antibiotics and other antibacterial medications into the hands of veterinarians, who must also modify previously acceptable treatment procedures so that meat, milk and eggs can pass increasingly sensitive tests in the expanded federally-mandated monitoring programs. In several cases, a better management practice, such as better sanitation, can prevent many of the health problems antibiotics are used to solve. With 9,000 dairy cows enrolled to date in model residue-avoidance program at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center in Tulare, Calif., UC Davis is helping lead the country in responsible veterinary drug use. "It's one of the boldest moves away from the traditional ways of managing health in large populations of animals," says Dr. Bennie Osburn, associate dean of research at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, "and it's proving very successful."