ANTIBIOTICS IN CHICKEN MEAT IN INDIA
Post no-1438 Dt 06/01/2020
Compiled & shared by-DR RAJESH KUMAR SINGH ,JAMSHEDPUR,JHARKHAND, INDIA, 9431309542,rajeshsinghvet@gmail.com,
Chicken is the most preferred food item in the world. The term broiler is applied to chickens that have especially been bred for meat; they grow rapidly. Broiler strains are based on hybrid crosses between many prolific poultry breeds like WLH,RIR, Cornish White, New Hampshire and White Plymouth Rock etc. In broiler production there are two main production phases – keeping of GP/parent stock and production of day-old-chicken (DOC); and growing and finishing of broilers.
Production of Chicken/ Eggs for consumption:
1.Under intensive farming methods, a broiler chicken lives less than five weeks before slaughter. 2.Free-range chickens or Deshi chicken or Backyard poultry chicken are usually slaughtered at 8 weeks and organic at around. 3.From 12 weeks onward the Chickens start laying eggs are called egg-laying hens or layers.
According to the AH department report of 2019, the Indian poultry sector has been growing at around 8-10
percent annually over the last 3 decades. In 2019, with a growth rate of eight percent over 2018, the
total poultry market size including layers (chickens raised for eggs) and broilers (chickens raised
for meat) is estimated at Rs. 1.75 lakh crores. Specifically, the domestic poultry meat production
(broiler – carcass weight) is which is known to be growing at over
10 percent for several years. While the market for processed chicken is growing, over 90 percent
of domestic purchases are still through wet market due to traditional consumer preferences for getting meat dressed in front. The processed chicken market is expected to grow over 25 percent in the long-term.
Accidentally, it was found that by-products of antibiotic production (dried Sreptomyces
aureofaciens broth) which contain a high level of vitamin B12, when fed to poultry animals
resulted in higher growth. Eventually, it was discovered that the trace amounts of antibiotics
remaining in these byproducts accounted for this growth.
Since then the antibiotics have been used on poultry in large quantities to enhance production in poultry. However, the use of antibiotics in food animals poses a major risk for humans due to antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic use is related to emergence of resistant bacteria in the animal which later transmits to
human through food, environment and direct contact with the affected meat. Residues of
antimicrobial compounds are also found in foods of animal origin as a result of inappropriate or excessive usage of these compounds. These residues are also known to transfer to humans
through food and environment. To prevent any residues of antibiotics in food and food products
of animal origin, withdrawal periods are set by regulatory agencies. Withdrawal period is a time between the last dose of antibiotic given to food animals and consumption of food animals or
food derived from it. It needs to be mentioned on the antibiotics that are used for animals.
Growing antibiotic-resistance in humans also because of large-scale indiscriminate use of antibiotics in poultry industry.
Points to large-scale unregulated use of antibiotics as growth promoters by the poultry industry
Antibiotics that are important to treat diseases in humans, like ciprofloxacin, being rampantly used by the industry. This is leading to increased cases of antibiotic resistance in India. For instance, ciprofloxacin resistance is growing rapidly in the country
India has no regulation on controlling antibiotic use in the poultry industry, or to control sales of antibiotics to the industry. It is free for all
India has recently set some limits for antibiotic residues in chicken but it is not complete.
India will have to implement a comprehensive set of regulations including banning of antibiotic use as growth promoters in the poultry industry. Not doing this will put lives of people at risk
Indians are developing resistance to antibiotics — and hence falling prey to a host of otherwise curable ailments. Some of this resistance might be due to large-scale unregulated use of antibiotics in the poultry industry. Antibiotics are no more restricted to humans nor limited to treating diseases. The poultry industry, for instance, uses antibiotics as a growth promoter. Chickens are fed antibiotics so that they gain weight and grow faster. The rampant use of antibiotics in animals could be a reason for increasing antibiotic resistance in India. But the government has no data on the use of antibiotics in the country.
Through news from social media we see that antibiotics are frequently pumped into chicken during its life cycle of 35-42 days: they are occasionally given as a drug to treat infections, regularly mixed with feed to promote growth and routinely administered to all birds for several days to prevent infections, even when there are no signs of it.
Large-scale misuse and overuse of antibiotics in chicken is leading to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the chicken itself. These bacteria are then transmitted to humans through food or environment. Additionally, eating small doses of antibiotics through chicken can also lead to development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans.
To ascertain the linkage between overuse of antibiotics in poultry farms and antibiotic resistance in humans, centre for science and environment (CSE) researchers reviewed 13 studies conducted by various government and private hospitals across the country between 2002 and 2013. They found that resistance was very high against ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and tetracyclines.
The problem is compounded by the fact that many essential and important antibiotics for humans are being used by the poultry industry. In India, there is growing evidence that resistance to fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin is rapidly increasing. Treating fatal diseases like sepsis, pneumonia and tuberculosis (TB) with fluoroquinolones is becoming tough because microbes that cause these diseases are increasingly becoming resistant to fluoroquinolones.
With antibiotics losing their effectiveness, the world would need newer antibiotics. Unfortunately, no new class of antibiotics has hit the market since the late 1980s. In the US, which is the largest user of antibiotics for animal food production, more than two million people suffer from antibiotic resistance-related illnesses every year; 23,000 of them succumb to the diseases.
What is to be done?
Governments worldwide are adopting regulations to control the use of antibiotics. But only those countries have shown signs of improvement that have taken stringent actions. EU, for instance, has banned the use of antibiotics as growth promoters. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that antibiotics that are critical for human use should not be used in animals. Countries have also set standards for antibiotics in food commodities.
Poultry constitutes more than 50 per cent of all the meat consumed in India.India will have to adopt a comprehensive approach to tackle this problem. The biggest problem is the emergence of resistant bacteria in animals and its transmission through food and environment. Till the time we keep misusing antibiotics in animals, we will not be able to solve the problem of antibiotic resistance. For India, therefore, the priority should be to put systems in place to reduce the use of antibiotics in poultry and other food animals.
Tips to the Indian policy forming body like FSSAI to curb the misuse of antibiotics in poultry are :
1. Ban use of antibiotics as growth promoters and for mass disease prevention. Antibiotics critical for humans should not be allowed in the poultry industry.
2. Antibiotics should not be used as a feed additive; the government should regulate the poultry feed industry.
3. Unlicensed and unlabeled antibiotics should not be sold in the market.
4. The government should promote development of alternatives and good farm management practices.
5. Set standards for antibiotics in chicken products.
6. Set up systems for monitoring and surveillance of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in humans and animals.
7. Set pollution control standards for the poultry industry.
NB; Although the FSSAI has set the maximum permissible limit of certain antibiotics /Growth promoters in poultry in India but it is only on paper.There is no mechanism to implement it on the grass root level.
REGULATIONS FOR ANTIBIOTICS IN CHICKEN MEAT WORLDWIDE:
European Union:
Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004, lays down specific rules for the organization of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption.
The use of veterinary drugs within the European Union is regulated by means of the Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2377/90 describing a procedure for the establishment of maximum residue levels (MRLs) for veterinary medicinal products in foodstuff of animal origin including meat, fish, eggs and honey. Its annexes present substances, for which MRLs have been established (Annex I); substances for which it is not considered necessary to establish MRLs (Annex II); substances with provisional, temporary MRLs (Annex III); and substances, which are not allowed to be used for food producing species (Annex IV).
While Council Directive No. 96/23/EC defines measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof in live animals and animal products it divides veterinary drugs into two groups: group A covering prohibited substances in compliance with the Annex IV of the Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2377/90 and group B containing agents, in compliance with Annexes I and III of the Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2377/90.
Since January, 1st 2006 according to Regulation (EC) No. 1831/2003 the antibiotics cannot be used as feed additives.17
USA:
The Center for Veterinary Medicine’s (CVM) Division of Compliance is responsible for
reviewing violative residues reported to the Agency by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection
Service. The Drug Residue Compliance Team provides regulatory support and outreach to
prevent illegal drug residues by reviewing inspectional evidence sent to CVM by the FDA
District Offices. The evidence is reviewed for compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act and its implementing regulations. USFDA has given specific tolerances for animal
drugs in CFR 21, Part 556.18
In 1977, the USFDA proposed banning tetracyclines and penicillins as additives in the livestock
feed which is yet to be implemented. USFDA imposed a ban on use or distribution of
Enrofloxacin for the purpose of treating bacterial infections in poultry with effect from 12th September, 2005.19
In 2012 and 2013, the CVM issued two policy documents known as guidance for industry (GFI) –
i) GFI#209 – The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing
Animals; ii) GFI #213 – New Animal Drugs and New Animal Drug Combination Products
Administered in or on Medicated Feed or Drinking Water of Food-Producing Animals:
Recommendations for Drug Sponsors for Voluntarily Aligning Product Use Conditions with GFI
#209. The aim was to phase-out the use of medically important antimicrobials in food animals for
production purposes and to bring the therapeutic uses of such drugs under the oversight of
licensed veterinarians.20
Health Canada:
Health Canada’s Veterinary Drugs Directorate (VDD) is responsible for ensuring the safety of
foods produced in Canada from food-producing animals that have been treated with veterinary
drugs. To accomplish this, VDD conducts comprehensive scientific reviews of veterinary drugs
before they are approved for sale in this country and also sets standards, e.g., maximum residue
limits (MRLs) in the tissues and food products derived from such food producing animals21.
Human Safety Division of VDD evaluates data on new drugs to assess any potential hazards to
human health resulting from the use of veterinary pharmaceuticals in animals used for food, and
conducts health risk assessments at the request of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
The Division establishes mandatory withdrawal periods and sets MRLs for residues of veterinary
drugs in food derived from animals and develops warning statements for veterinary drug labels.
In addition, it develops policies relating to the human safety of veterinary drugs, including
antimicrobial resistance, and maintains a close working relationship with CFIA on matters of
food safety.22
Table 1: Maximum Residue Limits of Antibiotics for Poultry Meat Set by Different
Regulatory Agencies
Antibiotics EU (ppm) Health Canada
(ppm) Australia
(ppm) USFDA (ppm)
Class Fluoroquinolone
Enrofloxacin +
Ciprofloxacin 0.1 in muscle
0.2 in liver
0.3 in kidney
Class Tetracycline
Oxytetracycline 0.1 in muscle
0.3 in liver 0.2 in chicken muscle
0.6 in chicken liver
1.2 in chicken kidney 0.1 in poultry meat 2 in muscle
6 in liver
12 in kidney
Chlortetracycline 0.1 in muscle
0.3 in liver
0.6 in kidney 0.2 in chicken muscle
0.6 in chicken liver
1.2 in chicken kidney 0.1 in poultry meat 2 in muscle
6 in liver
12 in kidney
Doxycycline 0.1 in muscle
0.3 in liver
0.6 in kidney
Class Aminoglycoside
Neomycin 0.5 in muscle
0.5 in liver
5 in kidney 0.5 in chicken muscle,
liver
10 in chicken kidney 0.5 in poultry meat
0.5 in poultry liver
10 in poultry kidney
India:
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been established under Food Safety
and Standards Act (FSS Act), 2006 to lay down science based standards for articles of food and to
regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and
wholesome food for human consumption. FSS Act, 2006, among others has repealed various
central acts such as Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, Meat Food Products Order, 1973
to establish a single reference point for all matters relating to food safety and standards, by
moving from multi level, multi departmental control to a single line of command.
FSSAI has set the tolerance limit for antibiotics and other pharmacologically active substances
only for sea foods including shrimps, prawns or any other variety of fish and fishery products
under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.23
No tolerance limit has been set for antibiotics and other pharmacologically active substances in poultry meat and meat products by FSSAI.
The ministry of Health and Family Welfare India amended the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 in sub rule 3 of rule 97 in 2013. As per the amendment, the container of the medicine for treatment of food-producing animals shall be labelled with the withdrawal period of the drug for the species on which it is intended to be used. If the specific withdrawal period is not mentioned, it should not be less than 28 days for meat from poultry. 24
Export Inspection Council of India (EIC), a statutory body, set up by the Indian government under section (3) of the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963, for implementation of the act. The Act was enacted for the sound development of the export trade of India through quality control and inspection and for matters connected therewith.
EIC has a Residue Monitoring Plan (RMP) for export to EU for fresh poultry meat and poultry meat products to ensure food safety and quality of the products for the export purpose.25 EIC has adopted the EU council directive regulations and MRLs for different antibiotics.
There are no regulations for domestic consumption of chicken, while for exports EU standard are followed by the EIC.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Being the poultry veterinarians, we recommend the following measures to combat the antibiotics resistance menance;
1. Reduce antibiotics use; many countries have banned its use as growth promoters, India
should also do this
2. Forty percent of the chicken meat samples investigated contained one or more antibiotics
which are obviously used in poultry farming. Appropriate MRLs need to be set by the
regulatory body in the country and enforced.
3. Withdrawal periods should be strictly followed and enforced to make the meat safer for
human consumption.
4. Poultry farmers need to be made aware to best poultry practices to prevent infection and
avoid the use of antibiotics.
5. Alternatives to antibiotics in poultry feed need to be developed and used where ever
possible.
6. Organic poultry farming may be encouraged by providing appropriate incentives to the
farmers in form of subsidy.
