Lok Sabha Question No. 4350 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-11
Subject: Antibiotics in Poultry Items
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR S.R., SUDHEER GUPTA, ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4350 TO BE ANSWERED ON   11 TH AUGUST, 2017

## ANTIBIOTICS IN POULT RY ITEMS

## 4350. SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that the poultry items like eggs and meat containing a large amount of antibiotics are being sold in various parts of the country and if so, the details thereof along with the r asons therefor;
- (b)  whether  scientists  have  warned that  the  overuse  of  antibiotics  for  growth promotion  in poultry is causing drug/ antibiotic resistance in humans and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has conducted  any  research  in  this  regard  and if  so,  the  details thereof along with the outcome thereto;
- (d) whether the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) haslaid down any norms for the sale of poultry items across the country, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to update and modify regulatory farmework and fastrack elimination of harmful ingredients from fooditems?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

(SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

- (a): While no separate data with reference to sale of poultry items in excess of the pre standards is maintained centrally by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSA as per information made available by  State/UT Governments to FSSAI, numbers of samples various food items, including poultry,  analysed and  found non - conforming to the prescribed standards during 2016 - 17, are as under : -

| No. of samples analysed                                           |   42857 |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
| No. of samples found non - conforming to the prescribed standards |    7515 |

(b) & (c) : The  Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  (ICMR)  has  informed  that  it  is  no conducting  any  research  on  effect  of  use  of  antibiotics  in  poultry  farms,  however, information available from public domain, antimicrobial consumption in food animal produc n in India is projected to grow Further, a recent study in Punjab reported resistance to relevant  antimicrobials  in  poultry  and  suggested  that  unregulated  use  of  clinically antimicrobials  in  Indian  broiler  and  layer  farms  may  contribute to  the  emergence  of  drug resistance.

(d): Standards  including  microbiological  standards  of  meat  and  meat  products,  includ poultry, have been prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Stand and Food Additives) Regulations, 201 1.  Further, the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 prescribe the tolerance limits of contaminants, and residues related to pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics etc. on food commodity.

(e): Standards  of  food  products  and  additives,  tolerance  limits  for  antibiotics,  pes including list of banned antibiotics, pesticides, etc.  are reviewed and updated from ti by FSSAI with a view to ensure safe and wholesome food for the public .