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Counterview Desk
A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study,
“Antibiotics in Chicken Meat” has found that 40 per cent of the chickens on
which it carried out tests have the presence of antibiotic residues, suggesting
that poultry farms in India that produced chickens are either “misusing” or “overusing”
antibiotic into chickens . The study says, “The use of antibiotics in
food animals poses a major risk for humans due to antibiotic resistance”,
adding, “Antibiotic use is related to emergence of resistant bacteria in the
animal which later transmits to human through food, environment and direct contact
with the affected meat.”
The study believes, this is particularly important because “the
Indian poultry sector has been growing at around 8-10 percent annually over the
last decade.” In 2013, “with a growth rate of eight percent over 2012, the total
poultry market size including layers (chickens raised for eggs) and broilers
(chickens raised for meat) is estimated at Rs 58,000 crore”, it adds. “Specifically,
the domestic poultry meat production (broiler - carcass weight) is estimated at
3.5 million tonnes which is known to be growing at over 10 percent for several years.”
The study was carried out after it was “accidentally found”
that by-products of antibiotic production (dried Sreptomyces aureofaciens broth)
which contain a high level of vitamin B12, when fed to poultry animals resulted
in higher growth. “Eventually, it was discovered that the trace amounts of
antibiotics remaining in these byproducts accounted for this growth. Since then
the antibiotics have been used on poultry in large quantities to enhance
production in poultry”, the study underlines.
A total of 70 chicken samples were tested in two phases from
different markets of Delhi National Capital Region NCR region -- Delhi, Noida,
Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and Faridabad. These chicken samples were analyzed for the
presence of antibiotics in two phases. In 14 samples, both muscles and liver
were tested. In four samples, muscles, liver and kidney were tested. In the
remaining 52 samples only muscles were tested. “Each sample was analyzed in
triplicate”, the study, carried out by a group of experts -- Ramakant Sahu,
Poornima Saxena, Prof (Dr) H B Mathur and Prof. (Dr) HC Agarwal -- says.
“Out of 70 samples tested in two phases 28 samples (40%)
were found to contain residues of one or more antibiotics. About 23% (16/70)
chickens had residue of one antibiotic while about 17% (12/70) had residues of more than one
antibiotic”, the study says, adding, “Tetracyclines (Oxytetracycline,
Chlortetracycline and Doxycycline) were detected in 10 samples (14.3%). Total
Tetracycline (i.e. the sum of concentration of Oxytetracycline,
Chlortetracycline and Doxycycline) was found in the range of 16.01 – 46.02
µg/kg.”
It further says, “Fluoroquinolones (Enrofloxacin and
Ciprofloxacin) were detected in 20 samples (28.6%) in the range 3.37 – 131.75
µg/kg. Total Fluoroquinolone (i.e. the sum of concentration of Enrofloxacin and
Ciprofloxacin) was found in the range of 3.37 to 196.34 µg/kg”, adding, “Three samples contained both
Enrofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin. The rest of the samples contained either of
them.”
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