UK farm group wants poultry feed additive loophole closed

Regulators are using loopholes in feed additive use to avoid banning antimicrobial drug nicarbazin, according to UK organic farm group Soil Association (SA).

Nicarbazin residues have been a persistent problem in UK poultry production, and can also be found in more than 250,000 eggs eaten each day by British consumers, SA said.

An EU scientific review found that a safe level for residues could not be established because there is not enough scientific evidence to prove that the chemical is incapable of causing damage to humans.

The Food Standards Agency and the industry are trying to reduce the risk by reminding farmers to ensure the drug withdrawal period is over before slaughtering the chickens.

However, broilers usually come into contact with their own droppings and thus can recycle nicarbazin during the five-day withdrawal period before slaughter.

Recent figures from the UK's Veterinary Medicines Directorate showed that 9 percent of chicken livers were still contaminated with residues above official safety limits in 2008.

SA said it has called for the banning of nicarbazin repeatedly to no avail.

SA Policy Adviser Richard Yong said this is a serious and persistent food-contamination issue that puts the public health at risk, and it is unacceptable that regulators are using a loophole to avoid taking action against the financial interests of the pharmaceutical and intensive-livestock industries.