Drugs in chickens threaten humans

4 June 2001



Drugs in chickens threaten humans

By FWi staff

DRUG residues in intensively produced chicken and eggs could be putting human health at risk, according to a new report.

In its findings, the Soil Association claims that 20% of chicken meat and 10% of eggs contain unacceptable levels of anti-microbial drugs.

Studies show that some drugs can cause birth defects in animals and are linked to cancer, points out the group, which promotes organic farming.

The Ministry of Agriculture says only 1% of meat and 3% of eggs were contaminated, and were well below safety limits.

But report co-author Alison Craig told the BBC Radio 4 Farming Today programme that MAFFs figures were misleading.

MAFF summarised levels by adding together all samples and all drugs instead of looking at the results of a particular drug on a particular tissue, she said.

While there was no evidence that humans suffered from eating chicken meat, this was because “nobody has looked” she added.

But MAFF insisted there had been no attempt to misrepresent any figures, and test results are fully reported every year by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

It added that the residues mentioned in the Soil Association report were all found at levels well below World Health Organisation safety limits.

The Poultry Meat Federation described the report as “deliberate scaremongering” and “blatant propaganda”.

Drugs mentioned in the report had all been tested for safety within production, it added.

The British Egg Industry Council said eggs had become contaminated accidentally with small-scale residue in feed.

A spokesman said levels were so tiny that a consumer would have to eat 2000 eggs a day to reach acceptable daily intake levels of some anti-microbials.

Organic farmers sometimes use anti-microbial drugs if their flocks are ill, but in a vaccine form which doesnt leave a residue in the meat.

They recommend that all producers do the same.

• Belgian poultry scare action, FWi, 04 June, 1999
• Poultry jabs to crack salmonella in eggs, FWi, 03 November, 1998
  

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