FSSAI Issues Draft Order on Use of Antibiotics in Meat, Poultry Products
INDIA - In order to curb the rampant use of antibiotics in meat and poultry products, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a draft order that proposes to stop growing use of antibiotics as a growth promoter in food-producing animals.
3 February 2015
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The draft order which was issued in January 19, 2015 said: “The meat producing animals/poultry birds shall not be fed with feed containing meat and/or bone meal including internal organs, blood meal and tissues of bovine or porcine origin materials except milk and milk products.”
“The slaughtering/processing for bovine meat and porcine meat shall be prohibited in the slaughtering/processing plants where poultry meat is produced for human consumption,” the draft adds.
For imports of meat and poultry products, the draft says: “In case of meat and poultry products intended to be imported into India, the FSSAI, in consultation with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries(DAHDF) will develop a procedure for inspection and monitoring of slaughtering/processing plants and their pre-requisites before grant of market access to the Indian market to ensure compliance of their order."
FSSAI shall also work with the DAHDF to make the required modifications in the health certificates for import of meat and poultry products into India.
Giving clarification on their order, FSSAI said, various consumer organizations/NGOs have recently raised issues relating to animal/bird feed containing meat and/or bone meal including internal organs, blood meal and tissues of animals; and about the slaughter/processing of animals for production of bovine/porcine meat where chicken is being processed.
"Concerns have also been expressed about the presence of veterinary drugs including antibiotics and growth promoters in food producing animals and animal/bird feed,” the draft adds.
FSSAI draft order has invited comments from the stakeholders within period of 60 days from the date of uploading the draft on their website.
“This order shall come into effect from July 1, 2015,” FSSAI draft order said.
