November 7, Developing Alternatives to Antibiotics Used in Food Animal Production The animal pharmaceutical industry continues to develop new drugs, but a growing share are generic versions of existing animal drugs or are designed for companion animals instead of food animals. USDA is also encouraging school districts to use locally-produced foods in school meals and to use «farm-to-school» activities to spark students’ interest in trying new foods. The U. That change would increase revenues for schools and reduce the administrative burden of collecting fees for reduced-price lunches.