Effective January 1, 2006 the European Union (EU) will ban the sale and use of all antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feeds. The ban will be in effect across the entire EU and affects the last 4 remaining antibiotics currently in use as feed-grade growth promoters: Monensin sodium (used in cattle), Salinomycin sodium (used in pigs), Avilamycin (used in pigs, chickens and turkeys) and Flavophospholipol (used in rabbits, layers, broilers, turkeys, pigs and cattle).
The decision was based on the opinions of the Scientific Steering Committee which recommended the progressive phasing out of antibiotics used for growth promotion as part of an overall strategy to minimize the development of antimicrobial resistant bacteria of human and animal significance. The EU had previously banned the feeding of antibiotics used in human medicine. Antibiotics will continue to be allowed in animal feeds to treat disease.
[Ed. I asked David Burch, who is based in the UK and serves as the AASV e-Letter Section Editor for antimicrobial resistance issues to comment on the growth promoter ban from the European perspective. His article entitled Anticipated effects of the withdrawal of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) from pigs in the European Union on 1st January 2006 appears in this issue of AASV e-Letter.]
Source: MeatNews.com, December 28, 2005