April 3, 2009
UK engages in antibiotic row
An alliance of organisations and producers in the UK has hit back at recent calls to curb the use of antibiotics in poultry farming.
The Soil Association and Compassion in World Farming have sent a joint letter to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, requesting for tighter rules on antibiotic use in farming.
The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) replied that veterinarians need the full range of antibiotics to help protect the health and welfare of Britain's livestock, and to help ensure the safety of food produced from those animals.
RUMA said calls to ban certain groups of antibiotics - namely cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones - were shortsighted, as it would be counter-productive and detrimental to animal and human health and welfare.
RUMA has worked to reduce the need to use antibiotics and it is working, said RUMA director Tony Andrews.
Andrews said antimicrobials were chosen and used based on diagnosis and known sensitives of the micro-organisms involved.
The use of cephalosporins and quinolones was very small compared with that of the more traditional antibiotics such as penicillin and tetracyclines, but could still be used in specific disease situations, he added.
The US has a similar row, in which the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is fighting against two bills that proposed the ban of antibiotic use.
