Poultry Stakeholders Examine Use of Antibiotics
JAMAICA - Stakeholders in the poultry industry met recently to examine and come to a unified position on the use and regulation of antibiotics in chicken rearing.The meeting, which was held at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club in St. Catherine, also sought to help producers gain a broader understanding of the implications and opportunities that could be presented with greater regulation of antibiotic use, in addition to developing strategies to advance the sector.
Antibiotics are used widely in the animal industry to speed up growth. Food safety experts have however noted that the overuse of antibiotics poses a threat to human health by helping to create so-called microscopic "superbugs" which are resistant to modern medicines.
Europe has banned the use of antibiotics in chicken rearing and has regulated the use of other hormonal growth promotants (HGP) in the animal food industry in general.
Leon Hedley, Vice President for Procurement and Trade at Jamaica Broilers, explained to JIS News that the industry leaders were of the view that Jamaica should examine closely, the direction the poultry industry was headed and to optimise global best practices.
Source: Jamaica Information Services
21 December 2005
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