Source: MEATINGPLACE, 9/15/14

The National Chicken Council (NCC) responded to an article by Reuters by reiterating that the majority of antibiotics approved for use in raising chickens are not used in human medicine, and those that are will be phased out for growth promotion purposes by December 2016.

Reuters reviewed more than 320 documents generated by major poultry companies including Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, Perdue Farms, George’s and Koch Foods during the past two years. Called “feed tickets,” the documents are issued to chicken growers by the mills that make feed to poultry companies’ specifications.

The article asserts poultry producers routinely feed chickens an array of antibiotics – not just when sickness strikes, but as a standard practice over most of the birds’ lives.

In a statement, NCC noted that only about 10 percent of the feed tickets reviewed by Reuters list antibiotics belonging to medically important drug classes — the exact ones that both the industry and the FDA are currently phasing out for growth promotion purposes.

The Reuters article noted, however, that in recent presentations, scientists with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the use of any type of antibiotic, not just medically important ones, contributes to resistance.

"We understand the concern about the use of antibiotics in farm animals and recognize our responsibility to ensure they are properly used for the right reasons to protect the health of animals, humans and the food supply," said Ashley Peterson, NCC vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, in response today to the Reuters article. "All antibiotics used to prevent and treat disease in chickens are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The majority of these antibiotics are never used in human medicine and therefore represent no threat of creating resistance in humans.

"While minimally used in raising chickens, by December 2016, these antibiotics that are important to human medicine will be labeled for use in food animals only to prevent and treat disease, under the supervision and care of a veterinarian," Peterson continued.  "The industry has fully cooperated with the FDA, and many poultry and pharmaceutical companies are moving far in advance of regulatory deadlines for compliance."

The NCC also noted the antibiotics themselves and their dosage rates have been approved by the FDA. Any feed mill that makes feed which contains an FDA-approved and regulated product, like an antibiotic, is subject to FDA authority and inspection.

“Contrary to what Reuters reports, these mills keep records of antibiotic use and the information is available to FDA and regulators,” the NCC statement asserted.

Peterson said that it is not surprising that a farm may have antibiotics listed on a feed ticket. The important answers, she added, are found in the detail behind the use of the antibiotic. "Is the antibiotic made exclusively for animals? If it is an antibiotic used in human medicine, is it being used to treat or prevent a disease? Is a veterinarian involved in this treatment decision? Is it administered according to an approved label?"

Finally, NCC charged that the Reuters article failed to point out that according to the most recent FDA data, 85 percent of salmonella collected from humans had no resistance to any of the antibiotics tested, and multi-drug resistance in salmonella from humans and chickens is the lowest since FDA began testing.

For consumers with further questions, NCC has put together a detailed list of questions and answers about how, why and which antibiotics are used, or not used, in raising chickens.

In addition, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association recently released a new video series about antibiotic use in the poultry industry, featuring two animal science and veterinary experts: Dr. Randy Singer, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Medicine, University of Minnesota, and Dr. Charles Hofacre, Professor, Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, Department of Population Health, University of Georgia.

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