Compared to the base level in 2012, antibiotic use in British poultry production has dropped by 81%.
This is among the key finding of the 2024 Antibiotic Stewardship Report from the industry body, the British Poultry Council (BPC),
Among the other highlights in the report is that the use of medically important antibiotics has been cut back by almost 99% over the same period.
BPC stressed that the preventative use of antibiotics in 2023 was zero, and that the use of these products as growth promoters has long been illegal.
In reality, the organization supports the safe use of antibiotics in poultry as part of global efforts to fight Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in both humans and other animals. Standards used in Britain are in line with the International Poultry Council’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Principles, which promote the transparent and responsible use of antibiotics.
There is an importance to be struck over antibiotic use, however, according to Richard Griffiths, BPC’s chief executive.
“One billion birds a year are reared for food in this country, and our farmers have a duty of care to every single one,” he said. “That includes working with professional veterinarians to safeguard bird health and well-being by ensuring the sustainability of our antibiotics.”
Use in broilers, turkeys remains below target levels
In 2012 — as the Antibiotic Stewardship program was introduced — total antibiotic use by the British poultry industry amounted to 81.7 metric tons (mt), according to the BPC report. As producers focused on the issue, total use increased slightly the following year to 94.6mt. However, significant reductions were achieved over subsequent years, and use has remained below 25mt since 2016. The latest figure (for 2023) is 15.6mt.
At the start of the program, species-specific targets were set by the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA), which were approved by the government. These were set at 25mg per population-corrected unit (PCU) for meat chickens, and 50mcg per PCU for turkeys.
Actual use dropped below these thresholds in 2016 for chickens, and in 2017 for turkeys, according to the latest BPC report. They have remained below these targets each year since then, and in 2023, use in chickens averaged 13.5mg/PCU, and that for turkeys was 33.6mg/PCU.
While no targets have been set for ducks, antibiotic use has also fallen substantially over the past 10 years, and averaged just 0.39mg/PCU last year.
AMR and antibiotic use in poultry in the news
A new study in the United Kingdom has revealed that AMR bacteria can be spread by wild birds to poultry farms and further afield.
At the recent Chicken Marketing Summit organized by WATT Global Media, an industry expert called for balance in antibiotic usage in poultry meat and egg production.
Also supporting the need for balance in antibiotic use was a WATT Poultry Chat last month. It proposes that farm management strategies and treatment protocols can help protect poultry from diseases, while still demonstrating judicious antibiotic stewardship.
