antibiotics – what you need to know

Antibiotics play an important role in providing a safe product for consumers, as well as in poultry health and welfare. Antibiotics help to maintain healthy birds, thereby ensuring a safe food supply for consumers and to prevent any potential food safety problems.There continues to be widespread debate within the scientific community as to the effect and impact of antibiotic use within agriculture because it is a complex interaction between food safety, animal health and animal welfare and there remain many unanswered questions to find answers to. Chicken Farmers of Canada supports the responsible use of antibiotics that have been approved by the Veterinary Drugs Directorate of Health Canada, in order to ensure food safety, animal health and animal welfare. The Canadian chicken industry is committed to controlling, monitoring and reducing antibiotic use in order to preserve effective treatment options. This situation is one that we are constantly monitoring and improving.

We support only the most responsible use of antibiotics and we are being proactive to manage antibiotic use in order to provide continued confidence to consumers and government. CFC understands that consumers and others have concerns regarding antibiotic use and resistance, and we take our responsibility very seriously. CFC has:

• • Implemented a sector-wide strategy to control, monitor and reduce antimicrobial use where possible.
• • Created a working group with representatives from throughout the chicken industry to examine ways to reduce antibiotic usage.
• • Reviewed best management practices to define antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance trends.
• • Worked with government to create an on-farm surveillance program for chicken, which will complement the current data from processors and retailers.
• • Initiated an education campaign to farmers and industry stakeholders on the issues of antibiotic use and resistance.
• • Invested in antibiotic alternative research, in collaboration with the industry stakeholders, to the tune of over $1.4 million which has been matched to over $5.1 million.

We also support the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, which works to develop antibiotic use guidelines for poultry veterinarians and the pathogen-reduction work being undertaken at the processing plants across the country. The intent is to demonstrate that antimicrobial use is being done responsibly, appropriately and safely.

We have indeed. CFC and the rest of the poultry industry have invested over $1.4 million in antibiotic alternatives research over the past few years. This has been leveraged to over $5.1 million. Among the research areas that received this funding were the study of antibiotics and their impact, the search for possible replacement treatments and much more. This funding represents nearly half of all research funding from the poultry industry. In addition to this, industry has spent a significant amount of money and resources developing and implementing the food safety program, working with government experts, and organizing the industry to discuss the potential for further use reduction. Research and innovation, along with the discovery and use of new products, are important ways in which the whole chicken industry can work toward addressing the challenges of reducing antibiotic use without losing them altogether as part of our credible food safety and animal welfare management practices.

Many antibiotics have been misnamed “growth promotants”. This highlights one of the challenges facing the chicken industry, misinformation. Antibiotics do reduce mortality and morbidity and increase the health of the gut microflora – which helps birds stay healthy and continue to grow. A sick bird can be a food safety risk and will not grow at the same rate as a healthy bird. It is also important to point out that “growth promotants” do not refer to hormones. The use of hormones in chicken production has been illegal in Canada since the 1960s.

Some people have cited the European Union example and asked us why Canada has not followed suit. It would be hasty to completely drop these tools which have been critical components to our on-farm management programs for years and which are being used responsibly, appropriately and safely. Let’s be clear: the European Union has not banned the use of antibiotics altogether. Governments in North America, as well as other countries, have been watching the European Union very carefully. Through a succession of bans, the European Union banned the majority of all feed antibiotics used for livestock agriculture. This is not a full ban on antibiotics, as antibiotics to cure sick animals can still be used. True, this approach has reduced the overall amount of medications being used, but now they have removed drugs that had little or no use in human medicine. The negative side to the EU story is that, as a result of the ban, there has been a significant increase in the amount of antibiotics that are closer to the ones associated with human medicine, specifically fluoroquinolones and macrolides. The debate rages on about this and the thought by governing officials of varying political stripes is that, since public health is the most important objective, raising the use of antibiotics of human importance to be used can’t be the desired outcome. In Canada, nearly 95% of feed is purchased from feed mills, and any antibiotics incorporated into the feed must follow the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Compendium of Medicating Ingredient Brochures or have a veterinary prescription. In terms of feed antibiotics, a significant amount being used are generally Class IV antibiotics – this is a class of antibiotics that are not used in human medicine and have no human health importance. The chicken industry continues to investigate antibiotic use with a proactive and sector-wide goal of reduction.

To be honest, a full ban on sub-therapeutic antibiotics isn’t the answer yet. Remember, the majority of antibiotics used for chicken production are not the same antibiotics that are used for humans. The European experience has demonstrated that when ‘preventative’ antibiotics are banned and birds get sick, a higher dose of a more powerful antibiotic is required – these are antibiotics that are related much more closely to antibiotics used for human medicine. The chicken industry is continuing to study all facets of antibiotic use in animal agriculture to ensure that responsible, appropriate and safe use of antibiotics can continue while reduction methods are explored at all levels of the industry, and with stakeholders and government partners. There is no straightforward, easy solution to the antibiotic use and resistance discussion. To date, the industry has spent $1.4 million on research (leveraged to over $5.1 million through other funding partners) on antibiotic reduction and replacements as well as on the complex situation of antimicrobial resistance.

We take these comments and views very seriously. We rely heavily on industry and outside experts to guide us. We can also tell you that it is very important to farmers to reduce antibiotic resistance. So there is a significant benefit for us to work on this issue. There is no straightforward, easy solution to the antibiotic use and resistance discussion and there continue to be unanswered questions, but the industry, along with its partners and government are studying this complex issue from all sides. To date, the industry has spent $1.4 million on research (leveraged to over $5.1 million through other funding partners) on antibiotic reduction and replacements as well as on antimicrobial resistance. We firmly believe that using antimicrobials in a responsible manner is the responsibility of all individuals that use them – both within human medicine and within agriculture.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Canada’s chicken farmers, and indeed the entire chicken industry, are working closely together, and spending millions of dollars on research at the farm, in processing facilities, and at the grocery retail level to ensure that Canadian consumers can continue to have confidence in their food. We have proactively implemented a sector-wide strategy to control, monitor and reduce antimicrobial use – where possible – while working alongside industry and government partners to safeguard poultry health and welfare. The continued availability of antimicrobials, and their subsequent responsible use, is important to safeguard poultry health and welfare. The strategy includes:

1. defining antimicrobial use and analyzing antimicrobial resistance trends
2. reviewing best management practices
3. ensuring effective controls of antimicrobial use in Canada
4. educating stakeholders on the issues of antimicrobial use and resistance
5. research and availability of alternative products

At the farm, since 1998, chicken farmers have implemented an On-Farm Food Safety Assurance Program (OFFSAP) to standardize on-farm food safety production practices whereby all farms receive yearly audits. A part of that program includes a reporting form that is sent with every flock that is sent to processing. Poultry farmers are the only commodity in Canada required to complete and send this information to CFIA veterinarians at processing plants. At the plant, the CFIA veterinarian verifies the form, which details all the antibiotics used to treat disease and the feed antibiotics used within the last two weeks. Additionally, as part of the annual OFFSAP audit, auditors audit the antibiotic usage and ensure withdrawal times are adhered to. Remember too, the majority of antibiotic use at the farm is overseen by a veterinarian, either at the feed mill or via the farmers’ veterinarian. All antibiotic usage is recorded as part of the mandatory food safety program.

• • The “flock sheet” is a form used by farmers to record specific information about such things as feed, any antibiotics, medications or vaccines used, number of birds placed, etc.
• • A preliminary sheet is sent to the processor 3 to 4 days ahead of the flock and the complete information is required on the flock sheet with the shipment itself.
• • If there were any serious violations (illegal processes, withdrawal times not adhered to, serious abuse, etc), the CFIA vet who works at the plant would not approve the slaughter of those birds and the farmer would not get paid.
• • Any farmers in violation of the on-farm food safety program can face stiff penalties

Farmers are also actively involved in funding research examining antimicrobial resistance and alternatives to antibiotic use, to the tune of several million dollars. In 2010, we also established a working group with industry stakeholders with the objective of reducing antibiotic usage. The sector-wide strategy listed above results from the work of this group. The real work for farmers is beginning now – over the past few years, we’ve been working with our government partners on our very own farms to conduct surveillance. CFC, through the Canadian Poultry Research Council, funded a project to test these on-farm surveillance protocols 2 years ago and now they are being put into place. We’ve opened our doors to an outside, 3rd party body that will monitor antibiotic usage and resistance levels. We’re pleased to report that, as of January 2013, we’ve begun our work with the Canadian Integrated Program for Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) of the Public Health Agency of Canada to develop and implement an on-farm surveillance program to monitor antibiotic use and resistance. These surveillance programs, along with a collaborative information sharing group between government and industry will provide further insight into antibiotic use and resistance in the Canadian chicken sector. In turn, this will help us determine future antibiotic policies. The Public Health Agency of Canada, through CIPARS – which has been active since 2002 – performs surveillance at processing and retail outlets to assess antimicrobial resistance trends. This new on-farm surveillance is another piece in the puzzle and becomes part of the larger CIPARS report which is used by industry and government to guide public health policy.

Proper care and handling of food should always be followed to make sure that bacteria and foodborne illness are kept at bay. Chicken is a raw product which must be handled and cooked properly, as with other meats and fish, to ensure any potential bacteria have been killed. Everyone involved in the food chain, from the primary producer to the consumer, has a role to play in ensuring our food is safe to eat. The food industry and governments work together to deliver food that is safe to consumers. The important, and sometimes forgotten, role of the consumer is to maintain the safety of that food by using safe food handling practices from the point of purchase. Chicken Farmers of Canada, and other government and industry partners, together founded the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education in 1997 to create a single organization, funded by all partners, to address the ongoing need to inform consumers about safe food handling practices. The goal is to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness in Canada from all food sources, be they meat or vegetable, in order to protect Canadian consumers. The Partnership uses four key messages to educate consumers and help create safer eating environments at home: CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces often SEPARATE: Don't cross-contaminate COOK: Cook to proper temperatures CHILL: Refrigerate promptly For more on how you can safely prepare chicken at home, click here. For more information on the Partnership, click here.

Yes. Consumers have ultimate power over this issue by using proper handling and cooking practices. The tried and true messages about safe handling and cooking – clean, separate, cook and chill – are well-founded and applicable to this situation. Proper care and handling of food should always be followed to make sure that bacteria and foodborne illness are kept at bay. Chicken is a raw product which must be handled and cooked properly, as with other meats and fish, to ensure any potential bacteria have been killed. Everyone involved in the food chain, from the primary producer to the consumer, has a role to play in ensuring our food is safe to eat. The food industry and governments work together to deliver food that is safe to consumers. The important, and sometimes forgotten, role of the consumer is to maintain the safety of that food by using safe food handling practices from the point of purchase. The Partnership uses four key messages to educate consumers and help create safer eating environments at home: CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces often SEPARATE: Don't cross-contaminate COOK: Cook to proper temperatures CHILL: Refrigerate promptly For more on how you can safely prepare chicken at home, click here. For more on how you can safely prepare chicken at home, click here.

No – Consumers should be confident that chicken is free of antibiotic residues. Testing has revealed no violations in residue levels in many, many years. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is involved in monitoring for antimicrobial residues and for monitoring antimicrobial use and withdrawal periods by way of the CFIA veterinarians at federal processing plants. Federal regulations (CFIA Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures, Chapter 19, section 3.4.2) require chicken farmers to report all antibiotics that have been used for each flock prior to the birds being processed. CFIA veterinarians verify these reports to determine that antibiotics were used as per their label or with a veterinary prescription and that the antibiotics are being used at the appropriate dosage for the appropriate application. Any product failing this investigation is not allowed on the market. In addition, the new on-farm surveillance program being put in place and coordinated with CIPARS – the Canadian Integrated Program for Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance of the Public Health Agency of Canada – will monitor antibiotic use when birds are placed, and before they are sent to market, which will provide additional information about antibiotic use levels.

Canadians are well served with CFC’s on-farm food safety program. We have created an auditable on-farm food safety program, called Safe, Safer, Safest that combines good production practices and internationally recognized principles into raising chicken for meat in Canada. Chicken farmers in Canada are audited annually on this program. In this program, antibiotic use is inspected and audited with every flock that is sent to processing. A reporting form is sent to the CFIA veterinarian ahead of each flock detailing all the antibiotics used to treat disease and the sub-therapeutic antibiotics used within the last two weeks. Additionally, as part of the annual OFFSAP audit, auditors audit the antibiotic usage and ensure withdrawal times are adhered to. The on-farm food safety program is a credible program that has received technical recognition from the federal, provincial and territorial governments. Recently, new on-farm surveillance protocols have been researched and are being implemented in order to monitor antibiotic use and resistance. The new program will be coordinated with CIPARS – the Canadian Integrated Program for Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance of the Public Health Agency of Canada – to roll out a 3rd party audit process.

Yes, you can access them by clicking here, here, here and here.

I’ve heard that chicken farmers are using an antibiotic called Ceftiofur – this is supposed to be important for human health. What’s up with that? These drugs are not used on a daily basis, and not used in all birds. When used, it is administered in one dose, usually in the egg, at the hatchery when needed. A lot of what you’re hearing about is from data produced in 2004 & 2005 - it is crucial to note that the industry has reduced the amount of Ceftiofur being used since that time. In fact, more recent government reports indicate that Ceftiofur resistance has significantly decreased since 2004. These results demonstrate that the food safety system is working. Surveillance program have indicated potential issues, and the industry, in cooperation with government, has taken action. These actions continue to evolve as more information is collected.