ACMSF Antibiotic Resistance Report: NOAH welcomes Government response

The National Office of Animal Health has welcomed the Government’s response and recommendations following the report by the Advisory Committee on the Microbial Safety of Food (ACMSF) on antibiotic resistance and food safety.

The response, published by MAFF and the Department of Health, recognises the extensive efforts already underway to address the important issue of antimicrobial resistance, on a UK and global scale, during the two or so years that the ACMSF report was in preparation. It also sets out further work that will be done.

NOAH welcomed the ACMSF report, published last August, recognising the thoughtful and well argued approach adopted within it, especially its view that ‘evolution not revolution’ was needed. However, despite searching international literature for its background, it tended to concentrate on a UK solution. This would be ineffective, said NOAH, because of the increase in globalisation of food supplies and human travel.

The Government’s response recognises the need for a global outlook; it also acknowledges that the UK is fully aware of its own responsibilities. The response cites the formation and growth of the RUMA Alliance and the publication of industry guidelines on fluoroquinolone use as two examples of moves to ensure the responsible use of antimicrobials in animals in the UK. Further, the government highlights the efforts being made and financed by the pharmaceutical industry into resistance surveillance and monitoring livestock across the EU.

These moves are all part of worldwide initiatives: global principles for the prudent use of antibiotics have been developed by the world veterinary, farming and animal health industry bodies. These have been echoed on a European level by the European veterinary association and the European animal health federation FEDESA.

"NOAH looks forward to working with its partners in the UK food chain, and with the Government, to continue to promote the responsible use of antibiotics in farm animals," said Dr John Walters, chairman of NOAH’s Antibiotic Working Group. "So long as we can keep the issues on a technical/scientific footing, we can make great strides without compromising animal or human health."

30 March 2000

Notes for Editors

1. For further information contact Roger Cook or Alison Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131, or visit the NOAH website.
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. NOAH's The association has 35 corporate members and 12 associate members. In 1999 NOAH's members accounted for around 95% of the £371 million UK animal health market, with additional valuable exports.
3. The Report of the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food "Microbial Antibiotic Resistance in Relation to Food Safety" was published in August 1999. The Recommendations and Government Response was published on 24 March 2000.
4. WVA (representing veterinarians), FIPA/IFAP (representing farmers) and COMISA (representing the animal health industry) have produced Prudent Use of Antibiotics: Global Basic Principles. FVE (Federation of Veterinarians of Europe) have produced Antibiotic Resistance and Prudent Use of Antibiotics in Veterinary Medicine.
5. NOAH has produced its own response to the ACMSF report.