NOAH warns against unlicensed alternatives to antibiotics

The continued use of antibiotics in livestock production is essential in the current crisis facing UK producers, NOAH director Roger Cook told delegates at the European Meat Industry Conference today in London.

He warned of the temptation of switching to untested alternatives simply because they are natural and new. "It would be folly to abandon licensed products where we have 40 years experience and replace them with materials where the risks are unknown," said Mr Cook. "We must continue to seek the next generation of medicines, but they must be subject to the full licensing process - just like the products already being used."

"Consumers need to have confidence in the food they are eating if the current state of the UK farming industry is to improve. And healthy food comes from healthy animals," said Mr Cook. He went on to explain that the controlled use of antibiotics in food animals is a key step to regaining public confidence. "Animal medicines in the UK are well controlled and essential to the production of safe healthy food. Medicine manufacturers must abide by industry Codes of Practice and sales staff must be registered and qualified by the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA). The medicines themselves must under go strict licensing controls to ensure effectiveness and safety to the animal, the user, the environment and the consumer. "

Antibiotics are used primarily to treat and prevent the spread of infectious bacteria. Meat animals are predominantly young and are highly susceptible to infectious disease and because they are kept in groups, disease can quickly spread to their fellows.

"However, medicines should never be used as a substitute for good farm management." said Mr Cook. "Businesses can only survive if animals stay healthy. Overuse of antibiotics is unlikely to occur as animal medicine is 'private' medicine and farm economics preclude unnecessary expense."

A special group of antibiotics, the digestive enhancers, are authorised under European legislation. These remain in the animal's gut, hampering bacteria that damage the gut wall and aiding food breakdown. Mr Cook said: "This has four main benefits: firstly, animals eat less to produce the same amount of meat, thus helping farm productivity; secondly, animals eating less food helps the environment and means less transportation of feed and less waste. Production prices are reduced and quality rises and animals are less prone to disease."

Consumer safety is guaranteed by the EU setting Maximum Residue Limits for every active substance used in medicines for food animals. These stringent controls mean that antibiotic residues in meat will be negligible and should not be a cause of public concern.

As for food scares, digestive enhancers cannot be blamed: Salmonella enteritis is not resistant to antibiotics, neither is E coli 0157. Salmonella typhimurium DT104 is resistant to five therapeutic antibiotics which are used in both humans and animals, but is not resistant to antibiotics used as digestive enhancers. "It is also important to note that doctors do not generally use antibiotics to treat food poisoning," said Mr Cook

"Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is natural and if it didn't occur then there would be no bacteria," explained Mr Cook. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that there is a growing world antibiotic resistance problem, particularly arising from overuse of antibiotics in human medicine. "But we in the animal sector must also be responsible and prudent, not complacent," he said. "We have to continue to play our part in maintaining the precious resource of antibiotics for the good of human - and animal - health."

24 September 1998

Notes for Editors

1. For further information contact Roger Cook or Alison Glennon, or telephone +44 (0)181 367 3131.
2. The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. The association represents 51 companies which in 1997 accounted for around 95% of the £379 million UK animal health market, with additional valuable exports.
3. Mr Cook was speaking on 24 September at the 'MEAT 98' conference in London, organised by Agra Europe - a full copy of Mr Cook's paper is attached.