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Written question asked by Tony Lloyd (Labour) on Wednesday, 13 September 2023, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 19 September 2023 (named day). It was answered by Mark Spencer (Conservative) on Tuesday, 19 September 2023 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Meat: Antibiotics

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to safeguard public health in connection with the supply of antibiotic-dosed meat to supermarkets.

Answer

Responsible use of antibiotics is an essential part of veterinary medicine: these medicines are needed to treat bacterial disease in animals. The UK Government is committed to reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics in animals whilst safeguarding animal health and welfare and antibiotic use in animals has reduced by 55% since 2014.

In the UK, antibiotics for animal use must be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon and we have strict maximum residue limits for food-producing animals. There is a comprehensive programme of statutory sampling and testing in place in the UK to look for residues of veterinary medicines, prohibited substances and contaminants in foodstuffs – this programme includes testing for a range of antibiotics, ensuring that they are being used in UK livestock in accordance with their authorisation. This activity is coordinated by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) in GB, and the results of testing and investigations are published on GOV.UK (link) on a quarterly and annual basis.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
199295
Session
2022-23
Subjects
Antibiotics Meat Public health
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk