Question : Antibiotics in Poultry Items

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 reasons 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) has laid 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 food items?

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 prescribed standards is maintained centrally by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), as per information made available by State/UT Governments to FSSAI, numbers of samples of 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 not conducting any research on effect of use of antibiotics in poultry farms, however, as per information available from public domain, antimicrobial consumption in food animal production in India is projected to grow Further, a recent study in Punjab reported resistance to clinically relevant antimicrobials in poultry and suggested that unregulated use of clinically relevant 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, including poultry, have been prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Further, the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 prescribe the tolerance limits of contaminants, toxins and residues related to pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics etc. on food commodity.

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