The quality control in third world countries is just gross. But some producer groups say farmers need access to unapproved drugs to treat their animals for diseases that have no other good remedy in Canada. That means that any producer, including large hog barn operators and feedlot owners, can import large quantities of unapproved and unregulated antibiotics to give to their animals. Dowling said this is dangerous because not only are unapproved antibiotics potentially harmful to animals and to humans who eat the meat, but the label on the box or barrel can be incorrect. That means a producer could have no idea what medication his animals are consuming.
China is a common source of cheap antibiotics.
The country has few regulations that control production or guarantee that the labels are correct. The animal pharmaceutical industry doesn't like the personal use exemption. It's been a concern for many years. She said there have been numerous problems with foreign antibiotics used on farms. Some have been poor quality and have caused adverse reactions in animals.