June 30, 2017

Over a five-year period from 2012 to 2016, the UK poultry meat sector has managed to reduce its use of antibiotics in terms of weight by a massive 71% (23.72 tonnes in 2016 alone), according to the 2017 Antibiotic Stewardship Report published by the British Poultry Council (BPC) on Monday June 26.

During the same period, poultry meat production increased 11% (1.79 million tonnes in 2016), it added.

Other achievements that the sector boasts include stopping the use of prophylactic in antibiotics and of colistin, as well as the adoption of new antibiotic standards, which are coming into force this October.

"We are delighted with the progress we've made, but there is more work to be done. Our Antibiotic Stewardship continuously reviews on-farm management practices to ensure sustainable use of antibiotics throughout our supply chain", BPC Chairman John Reed said.

The BPC said that antibiotic use, together with antimicrobial resistance, in humans and animals is one of the biggest health challenges the world faces.

Still, it acknowledged that livestock, like people, get ill, and will need antibiotics to preserve their health.

"Our farmers and veterinarians need antibiotics in their toolbox to treat sick birds—zero use is not an option—and we will protect the health and welfare of our birds. We will safeguard the efficacy of antibiotics as part of sustainable food production, and we will continue to feed the nation", Reed said.

He said that next challenge for the sector is examining the link between antibiotic use and resistance in the poultry production chain, adding they would continue to contribute meaningfully to the global debate.

"We are committed to reporting our progress on an annual basis", he said.