Lok Sabha Question No. 4068 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-10
Subject: Bird Flu
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: JANAK RAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4068 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH AUGUST, 2018

## BIRD FLU

## 4068. SHRI JANAK RAM:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken cognizance of reports indicating the threat of bird flu rising in Delhi and several areas in the country, if so, the details thereof and the steps taken to strengthen the process of lab tests for m eat products in the country; and

(b)  the  steps  taken  to  prevent  health problem  from  the  increased  use  of antibiotics  in  food products?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

(a): As informed by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, there is no report indicati the threat of Bird Flu rising in Delhi and any other area in the country. The country had the last outbreak of Bird Flu on 27 th February, 2018 in Odisha. The control and cont ainment operations were carried out as per the Action Plan on Preparedness, Control and Containme Avian  Influenza.  Post  Operation  Surveillance  Plan  (POSP)  for  a  period  of  three  months carried out for surveillance of disease in the surveillance zon es. Surveillance was also carried out throughout the country and around the areas of the outbreaks after completion of the disi process. India had declared itself free from Avian Influenza (H5N8 and H5N1) from 5 th June 2018 as per World Organizatio n f r Animal Health (OIE) guidelines and the same was notified to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). There is no report of any outbreak fro part of the country thereafter.

As regards strengthening the process of lab tests for meat products in the country, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ( FSSAI) has already released 'Manual of Method of  Analysis  of  Foods - Meat  &  Meat  Products'  prescribing  methods  of  analysis  of  various parameters in meat as prescribed under Food Sa fety and Standards Regulations to be followed by the  FSSAI  notified  food  testing  laboratories.  FSSAI  has  notified  172  NABL  accredited testing laboratories across the country of which 100 laboratories have the facilities for meat products in the country.

(b): The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries has issued advisorie to  all  States/UTs  for  judicious  use  of  antibiotics  in  treatment  of  food  producing  ani stopping  the  use  of  antibiotics  in  animal  feed  and  f or  general  awareness.  The  Drugs  and Cosmetics Rules were amended by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the year 20 to make a provision that the container of a medicine for treatment of food producing a shall be labelled with the withdraw al period of the drug for the species on which it is intended be used.

Further, FSSAI has prescribed the Tolerance limit of antibiotics and veterinary drugs on milk, animal tissues, poultry, fish etc in the Food Safety and Standards (Contamina nts, Toxins and Residues) Second Amendment Regulations, 2018 .It also contains a list of antibiotics and veterinary drugs that  are not permitted to be used at any stage of processing of meat products,  poultry  and  eggs,  sea  foods  including  shrimps ,  prawns  or  any  variety  of  fish  and fishery products. It is provided that Food Business Operators shall comply with all the p of these amendment regulations by 1st January, 2019.