Antibiotics in Chicken? How harmful is it?

Antibiotics in Chicken?-It was mentioned in a few newspapers that India is the country that has the largest percentage of people most immune to antibiotics. If you are wondering why we have the answer here. Indians consume chicken and enriched eggs which have antibiotic residues. “Antibiotics are being routinely administered to chickens on Indian poultry farms in small doses to promote growth and keep disease at bay, almost as a replacement for nutrition and sanitation, says a study that was published in the Environmental Health Perspectives.

Most of the poultry farms in India use antimicrobials for the growth of the chickens. Tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones, the antibiotics commonly used to treat cholera, malaria, and respiratory and urinary tract infections in humans, are the most commonly used antimicrobials in these farms. The overuse of antibiotics in poultry farms is being blamed for the increase in resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs.” When these are passed to humans, they can cause serious illness.

Antibiotics in Chicken? How harmful is it?

Since the 1940s, antibiotics have been given to chickens in order to treat infections or prevent an illness from spreading. Low doses of antibiotics are also added to poultry feed to promote growth. The result is a greater amount of meat produced in less time. As a result of such low doses, animal mortality rates might be reduced and reproduction may be improved. As a result, antibiotics are widely used in agriculture. There has been a 38% decline in sales of medically important antimicrobials that are used in food-producing animals from 2015.

How harmful is it? Resistant Bacteria

Anything in excess is bad for life. Just like, antibiotics are generally fine when used in regulation for treating or preventing infections. But, excessive or inappropriate use definitely is a problem. When antibiotics are overused, they end up becoming less effective for both humans and animals. This is because bacteria that are frequently exposed to antibiotics develop a resistance to them. As a result, antibiotics are no longer as effective at killing harmful bacteria. This is a great concern for public health. And the resistant bacteria get into humans through chicken and omega 3 enriched eggs, especially when it is undercooked or handled badly. When resistant bacteria are introduced to humans, they can remain in the gut and spread from individual to individual. Severe infections and difficulty in treating any disease or ailment can be caused by the presence of this Resistant bacteria.

Consumer awareness led Sweden to ban the use of antibiotics in poultry as early as 1986. There are regulatory authorities in India, including the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, that are authorized to impose restrictions on the use of antibiotics to promote poultry growth, but to date, they have not taken this action. In India, some farmers are genuinely unaware of the potential harm of using antibiotics as growth promoters. But, post-COVID we are seeing consumers choose healthy lifestyles and antibiotic-free enriched eggs. We could see great change happen soon with the Chicken and Omega 3 enriched eggs in India.