EU bans four more antibiotics
A European Union-wide ban on using antibiotics as growth promoters in animal feed went into effect Jan. 1. This is the final step in the EU’s strategy to phase out antibiotics used for non-medicinal purposes. It’s part of the European Commission’s overall effort to tackle antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics can now only be added to animal feed for veterinary purposes.
The following four substances will be removed:
Salinomycin sodium used for piglets and finishing pigs.
Avilamycin used for young pigs, finishing pigs, chickens and turkeys.
Flavophospholipol used for rabbits, laying hens, market chickens, turkeys, pigs, calves and cattle.
Monensin sodium used for market cattle.
The flimsy science used to argue for the EU ban can be argued indefinitely. But now that the ban has been implemented in the EU, a movement to do the same in the U.S. is likely in the near future. — G.H.