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Tackling antibiotic resistance from a food safety perspective in Europe

11-04-2011
Discussion at WHO/Europe seminar on antibiotic resistance in Rome, Italy, on 7 April 2011 - World Health Day. Photo: WHO/Nicoletta di Tanno

“No action today, no cure tomorrow”: antibiotic resistance is also a food safety problem

In 2011, 7 April - World Health Day - is dedicated to antibiotic resistance to raise awareness about the need for prudent use of such drugs.

Among the events for the Day, WHO/Europe organized a seminar in Rome, Italy, on antibiotic resistance from a food safety perspective, where it launched a new publication on how to tackle this issue in the European Region. Over 70 people from Italian and international institutions and media attended the seminar and participated to a round table discussion. Major Italian media echoed the event.

Antibiotic use in food animals –for treatment, disease prevention or growth promotion – allows resistant bacteria and resistance genes to develop and spread from food animals to humans through the food-chain, with important public health consequences. In some countries, antibiotic use in animals seems to outweigh use for human medicine.

Antibiotics have revolutionized the treatment of infectious diseases. But their use and misuse have resulted in the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. This leads to simple infections not responding to treatment, and to routine operations and interventions becoming in some cases life-threatening.

Summary of the event

  • The Ministry of Health of Italy, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and WHO/Europe opened the seminar. Invited speakers illustrated the various aspects of antibiotic resistance in a food safety perspective, and suggested actions to improve the current situation, in particular the need to reduce antibiotic usage in animal husbandry. Success stories, such as the experience from the Nordic countries in reducing antibiotic resistance by decreasing the use of antibiotics in food animals, were presented.
  • Participants and panelists engaged in an open discussion on the opportunities and challenges for the international response to antibiotic resistance in the food chain.
    Highlights from the debate include:
    • the importance of collaboration and communication between veterinary and food safety authorities and public health authorities was stressed. Italy provided a good example in this regard;
    • the importance of integrated efforts for surveillance of both antibiotic usage (in animals and humans) and antibiotic resistance (in bacteria from humans, foods and animals);
    • antibiotic resistance from food can also spread from dairy products, fruits and vegetables as antibiotic resistant bacteria from animals are typically spread via fecal material potentially contaminating most kinds of raw foods. Transmission via the environment can occur for example through irrigation water;
    • the need to remove financial incentives for veterinarians and doctors to prescribe antibiotics, and over-the-counter sales of antibiotics (in areas where this is still occurring). Due consideration should also be given to the administration of antibiotics to domestic pets;
    • the Codex Alimentarius, the FAO/WHO body developing standards for foods in international trade, also regards antibiotic resistance as a food safety concern and provides guidance on risk assessment and risk management in this field;
    • the poor acknowledgement of the public health risks from the spread of antibiotic resistance through the food chain.

WHO/Europe’s publication was welcomed as useful and most needed not only for the European Region, but also as a valuable source of information at the global level.