The use of antibiotics and other anti-microbial agents throughout the food chain contributes to the growth of resistant bacteria which can be passed on to humans through food, EU’s food agency said on 17 April 2008.
The resistance of bacteria has become a growing concern as anti-microbials become less effective in fighting infections, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said in a statement.
This has coincided with a rise in bacterial resistance to anti-microbial agents in animals, the EFSA said, citing a draft opinion paper by one of its expert panels which was looking into causes of the growing and diverse range of resistant bacteria and bacteria-borne resistant genes.
EFSA said hygiene controls should be tightened at every stage of the food chain, from veterinary medicine to food processing and preparation, to prevent the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
The main foods carrying antimicrobial resistant bacteria were poultry meat, eggs, pork or beef as well as fresh salads, which can be contaminated during preparation, handling and processing, it said.
The panel found bacteria could be passed directly to people from contaminated food of animal origin carrying resistant bacteria which could colonize or infect people after ingestion.
Bacteria could also be passed to humans by the consumption of fresh produce from land irrigated with water contaminated by slurry or sewage. Food of animal and non-animal origin could also be contaminated during handling and preparation.
Next step
EFSA has called for more scientific information on the link between the use of anti-microbial agents in the food chain and transmission of the resistant bacteria to humans and runs consultations on the draft opinion until May 27.
Comments
EPHA urges the Commission to take this EFSA statement into account when deciding on allowing or not the commercialisation of resistant bacteria food.
This will be particularly true at the beginning of 2009 when the Commission will have to decide on the commercialisation of the Amflora potato.
Evidence indeed shows that this genetically modified potato developed by a German biotech company to produce unusually large quantities of starch contains the controversial antibiotics resistant marker genes kanamycin and neomycin.
It is thus very surprising that this biotech company is now undertaking an intensive lobbying, especially by a campaign in the media, to allow the commercialisation.
Likewise, this statement is relevant in a time when there is an important debate on the us chicken and the antibiotic resistant salmonella in campylobacter.
