RUMA has welcomed the publishing of 2018 antibiotic usage data collected through the British Poultry Stewardship programme. Despite increased disease challenges during 2018, the British poultry meat industry was able to maintain antibiotic use at low levels with just 12mg/kg required in the broiler meat sector, 47mg/kg used for turkeys and less than 2mg/kg for ducks.

Overall this meant that the amount of antibiotics used by the industry increased slightly from 14.4 tonnes to 16.2 tonnes, nonetheless representing an 80% reduction in total use since 2012, and an 83% reduction in use of highest-priority critically-important antibiotics.

Gwyn Jones, chairman of RUMA, said that the UK poultry meat industry was continuing to show leadership in antibiotics stewardship by maintaining low usage levels in a difficult year. “The challenge for all sectors will be as they reach their ‘terminal low’ in use. At this point, it is about responsibly maintaining low levels of use without compromising health and welfare or food safety in the face of emerging external challenges and disease.”

The report can be downloaded from the British Poultry Council website at https://www.britishpoultry.org.uk/bpc-antibiotics-report-2019/