India’s ban on antibiotics in animal food products to help curb AMR: Report

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) The decision by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to ban the use of some antibiotics in animal food products will help curb the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to a new report.

In October, the FSSAI banned the use of some antibiotics used in the production of meat, meat products, milk, milk products, poultry, eggs, and aquaculture.

The ban in usage of antibiotics will enhance the quality of livestock farming in India.

This regulatory decision is a crucial move to safeguard public health and curb the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which renders certain bacterial infections increasingly difficult to treat with standard medications among consumers, said GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

“Being one of the major producers and exporters of milk, eggs, fish, and poultry meat, India needs to regulate the use of antibiotics during livestock farming and production in order to sustain itself in the global market,” said Susmitha Bynagari, consumer analyst at GlobalData.

Also, the country needs to keep a constant check on the usage of antibiotics in animal production to maintain the quality of the products that are exported.

“This ban on the usage of antibiotics in feed using for meat and poultry is also implemented in countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore,” Bynagari added.

India has also committed to reduce the usage of antimicrobials used in animal production by 30-50 per cent by 2030.

Indian consumers also prefer healthy products, which is bolstered by a recent GlobalData survey, where 73 per cent of the Indian respondents said that well-being always or often influences while purchasing food and beverage products.

This shift in consumer behaviour is driving demand for more sustainable and safer food products, said the report.

“To effectively tackle the issue of AMR, the FSSAI must ensure that the ban on these usage of on antibiotics in animal production is strictly implemented across the country,” said Francis Gabriel Godad, Consumer Business Development Manager at GlobalData.

A grassroots approach will be critical to achieving long-term success in reducing antibiotic use in agriculture and ultimately protecting public health, he added.

—IANS

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