A memorandum that was signed by US President Barack Obama on Tuesday stated that it is now among the key policies of the federal government to encourage responsible use of antibiotics in the production of meat and poultry.

In an announcement made public by the White House on Tuesday stated that the General Services Administration (GSA) will be looking for vendors to offer antibiotic-free meat and poultry as an option in government cafeterias that it manages.

GSA has set a deadline of 2020 for every agency to create a preference for awarding such contracts, to the extent that they're available and cost-effective.

It has been said that the Presidential Food Service, which provides food to the president and his family, caters state dinners and operates the White House dining rooms, has also committed to serve meats and poultry that have not been treated with hormones and antibiotics.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also announced Tuesday that it has finalized some changes to a regulation laying out what veterinarians must do when they authorize the use of antibiotics to livestock.

Tuesday's gathering at the white house included several representatives from more than 150 food companies, retailers, pharmaceutical and agricultural companies, hospitals, research firms and some consumer advocacy groups.

The Natural Resources Defense Council said in a statement that the government needs take some more steps to make sure that antibiotics are used only to treat sick animals and to control disease outbreaks.

It has been found that Arkansas-based Tyson Foods has pledged that it would phase out antibiotics by September 2017 in its US operations. Perdue, McDonald's, Chick-fil-A and Pilgrim's have also announced they would restrict the use of antibiotics.