The British Poultry Council has this month released its 2024 Antibiotic Stewardship Report, highlighting progress made by the industry as part of the global effort in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
The report shows how collaboration and the sharing of data among businesses has helped achieve significant progress, including an 81% reduction in the total use of antibiotics since 2012; a 98.7% reduction in use of medically important antibiotics (MIAs) since 2012; and zero use of preventative antibiotics. Levels have remained stable over the past year.
BPC Chief Executive, Richard Griffiths, said: “A billion birds a year are reared for food in this country and our farmers have a duty of care to every single one. That includes working with professional veterinarians to safeguard bird health and wellbeing by ensuring the sustainability of our antibiotics
“We remain under Government approved RUMA species-specific sector targets and continue to challenge antibiotic use levels, while treating birds under strict veterinary direction if required.
“Preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics is critical to the long-term sustainability of both the British and the global poultry meat industry.”