I make reference again to my recent columns regarding the excessive use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, poultry farming and aquaculture in the Philippines and many countries around the world, including the United States. More than 70 percent of medically important antibiotics in the US are sold for livestock use. Scientists have warned that the routine use of antibiotics to promote growth and prevent illness in healthy farm animals contributes to the rise of dangerous antibiotic-resistant superbug infections, which kill at least 23,000 Americans each year and pose a significant threat to global health. Unfortunately, the situation in the Philippines is similar: 80 percent of Filipinos are already antibiotic resistant, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
I mentioned previously that Tyson, one of KFC’s suppliers in the US, set a goal in April 2015 to eliminate the use of human antibiotics from its broiler flocks, or those raised for meat, by the end of September.
It is good to see that McDonald’s Corp. said the other day it would begin curbing the use of the high-value human antibiotics in its global chicken supply in 2018, as the fast-food giant joins a broad effort to battle dangerous superbugs. McDonald’s, in a policy statement, said it is working on antibiotic plans for other meats, dairy cows and laying hens. McDonald’s is requiring suppliers of chicken meat to begin phasing out the use of antibiotics defined by the World Health Organization as “highest priority critically important antimicrobials” (HPCIA) to human medicine. In January 2018 HPCIAs will be gone from McDonald’s chickens in Brazil, Canada, Japan, South Korea, the US and Europe. By the end of 2019, suppliers in Australia and Russia will be added. Suppliers in all other markets will comply by 2027. Does the Philippines fall under the 2027 deadline?
Given the fact that 80 percent of Filipinos are antibiotic resistant, this problem needs to be addressed Now, by supervising the raising of chicken and hogs. In my view it is super urgent that all agri-food stakeholders in the Philippines get together to discussed in more detail steps to be taken and deadlines to be met between the private sector (the complete supply chain) and the government (Department of Agriculture, DOH and Food and Drug Administration). It is understood that these drastic changes cannot be effected within a short period of time, as the Tyson/KFC/McDonald’s examples shows. But every revolution starts with the first step. The Philippines certainly cannot wait until 2027.
And we don’t have to wait. The Philippines already has an excellent example: the Philippine poultry farm, Pamora, is offering free-range chicken and eggs, and states: “All natural chicken with no hormones, chemicals and antibiotics”. Pamora further states: “Pamora chicken are grown 81 days for optimum quality. Eight-percent total fat content with real chicken taste.” Pamora Farm, a Filipino-European joint venture, started to raise free-range chicken in the year 2000. The company’s production of dressed free-range chicken began in mid-2002 with a monthly capacity of 200 broilers. Today monthly capacity has reached 3,000 broilers and still increasing due to markets demand for quality free-range chicken meat. All that needs to be done is to build on Pamora’s expertise and set deadlines for reducing medically important antibiotics from the country’s meat supply.
For more information, contact Schumacher@mcasia.org.