Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), a central government agency, in a letter has said that all state governments are requested stop the use of antibiotics and hormones in animal feed.

The states should direct their veterinarians, feed manufacturers and also the persons involved in treatment of animal for judicious use of antibiotics and hormones for the treatment of ailing food producing animals.

The Controller also called for strict implementation of a 2012 law, which mandates a gap between the time an animal is given a drug for medical purposes and sale of food products from that animal.

The letter continues: “Antibiotics are also used as feed premix for regular feeding in poultry and animal used for meat, milk and egg production. This kind of regular feeding of antibiotics has serious consequences on human being, since residues of antibiotics may accumulate in meat, milk and eggs.

“Consumption of antibiotic contaminated meat, milk and eggs may develop antibiotic resistance in both human being and animals. This type of use of antibiotics should be discouraged and in this regard, the farmers/industries and feed manufacturers should be advised/educated on not to use antibiotics for animal feeding.”

Further, the use of hormones as growth promoters used in food-producing animals should also be stopped since it has also adverse effect on human and animal life, the Controller added.