Antibiotic Regulations in Food Producing Animals Amid Global AMR Concerns

Syllabus: GS2/Issues Related To Health

Context

• India is stepping up its regulatory framework to address the use of antibiotics in food animal production, reflecting a broader international push to safeguard human health and ensure food safety.

Use of Antibiotics in Food-Producing Animals

• AMR occurs when pathogens — bacteria, viruses, fungi — develop resistance to drugs that once effectively treated infections.
• It is driven by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in both human and veterinary medicine.
  • As a result, once-treatable infections are becoming deadly, and the ripple effects are being felt across health systems, food production, and economies.
• According to the First Global Animal Health Report released by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), AMR could cost:
  • $100 trillion in economic losses projected by 2050;
  • Food security of 2 billion people at risk due to declining livestock productivity;
  • Healthcare costs could surge by $159 billion annually;
  • Global GDP losses could reach $1.7 trillion per year;
  • Livestock production losses could affect consumption needs of up to 2 billion people
  • About 30% reduction in antibiotic use through improved hygiene, vaccination, and biosecurity could boost the global economy by $120 billion by 2050.
• In Aquaculture & Livestock:
  • Fluoroquinolones account for 15.8% of antimicrobials used in aquaculture;
  • 20% of WOAH member countries still use antimicrobials as growth promoters;
  • 7% use critically important antibiotics like colistin and enrofloxacin

Need For Antibiotic Regulations

• EU’s Stringent Antimicrobial Regulations for Imports: The European Union (EU) has implemented robust regulations to curb antimicrobial use in food animals and ensure food safety for its citizens.
  • Countries not included in the authorised list, including India, need to demonstrate compliance with these regulations and submit relevant certifications by 3 September 2026 to continue uninterrupted exports to the EU.
• Preserving Drug Efficacy: Without regulation, even last-resort antibiotics like carbapenems and colistin are losing effectiveness.
• Protecting Public Health: AMR threatens to reverse decades of medical progress, making routine surgeries and infections potentially fatal.
• Safeguarding Exports: Stricter norms are essential to meet international food safety standards, especially for animal-derived products.

India’s Regulatory Changes: Strengthening Domestic Regulations

• Amendment in the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963, banning the use of specific antimicrobial drugs in the production of milk, eggs, and honey.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) formally notified the ban covering 15 antibiotics/antibiotic classes, 18 antivirals, and 1 antiprotozoal.
• The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, reviewed the EU’s list of 37 restricted antimicrobials. It recommended prohibition of 34 out of 37 antimicrobials.
• Aquaculture and Export Norms: India’s coastal aquaculture guidelines prohibit five antibiotic classes and five specific antibiotics.
  • It is crucial for maintaining export standards, especially as international buyers increasingly demand antibiotic-free products.
• Honey & Residue Limits: The new rules target honey production, setting stricter residue limits for nitrofurans, sulphonamides, and nine other antibiotics.
  • Maximum residue limits (MRPLs) have been doubled from 5 µg/kg to 10 µg/kg.
• FSSAI’s New Rules: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) introduced the amendment to its Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues regulations.
  • It prohibits antibiotic use at any stage of producing milk, meat, poultry, eggs, and aquaculture. Banned substances include:
    • Antibiotic Classes: glycopeptides, nitrofurans, nitroimidazoles
    • Antibiotics: carbadox, chloramphenicol, colistin, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole.

Potential Issues & Challenges

• Enforcement Challenges: Small-scale farmers often rely on low-cost antibiotics, and veterinary drugs are frequently used without prescriptions.
  • Robust inspection and testing mechanisms are essential to ensure compliance.
• Fragmented Oversight: Regulatory responsibilities are split across multiple ministries — health, agriculture, and environment — leading to incoherent policy enforcement.
• Weak Surveillance: India lacks a centralized AMR database, making it difficult to track resistance patterns and antibiotic consumption.
• Environmental Impact: Pharmaceutical waste containing antibiotic residues is often discharged into water bodies, further spreading resistance.

Global Implications

• India is one of the largest producers and exporters of animal-derived food products.
• Implications for Trade and Public Health:
  • Public Health: Curbing AMR through responsible antibiotic use and safeguarding medically important antimicrobials for human use.
  • Trade Compliance: Aligning with EU’s antimicrobial regulations to sustain and expand access to premium export markets.
• By aligning its standards with international norms, the country aims to:
  • Maintain its global market position;
  • Reduce AMR risks linked to food exports;
  • Promote sustainable livestock farming practices

Way Forward:

• One Health Approach: India’s strategy reflects the WHO’s ‘One Health’ framework, which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
  • By curbing antibiotic misuse in agriculture, India hopes to preserve the efficacy of life-saving drugs for future generations.
• Strengthen Enforcement: Implement and monitor prescription-only sales and crack down on illegal antibiotic distribution.
• Educate Stakeholders: Launch awareness campaigns for doctors, pharmacists, farmers, and the public.
• Invest in Surveillance: Build robust systems to track antibiotic use and resistance trends across sectors.
• Promote Alternatives: Encourage vaccination, hygiene, and biosecurity in farming to reduce reliance on antibiotics.

Source: DTE