There is currently much discussion about food and antibiotics in the veterinary sector. The alarm that has recently been raised regarding antibiotic resistance does not exclude this sector. On the contrary, it seems that one of the biggest problems is precisely the veterinary sector, where drugs administered to animals have an impact on human health.
Food and antibiotics over the last 80 years
Antibiotics have been used in the veterinary sector since the 1950s but are still an indispensable tool for the control of infectious diseases in this area. Thanks to the introduction of antibiotics, it is also possible to guarantee the standard of production of food of animal origin.
The use of antimicrobials, however, has been abused over the years, both for human and veterinary use. According to data released by the Ministry of Health, every day in Italy one and a half million people take an antibiotic. The misuse of antibiotics has therefore meant that their effectiveness is no longer guaranteed.
The use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine
Also in veterinary medicine the use of antibiotics must always be considered, possibly following a visit of the animal by the veterinarian. Those who use veterinary medicines are required to monitor the health of their animal and it is therefore good practice to note any possible adverse effects.
With regard to the combination of food and antibiotics, therefore, it is not only a question of regulating the administration of antibiotics to animals in order to improve their state of health, but above all of safeguarding the health of the human being who brings meat from animals undergoing antibiotic therapy to the table.
Tolerability studies
To overcome this problem, according to tolerance studies, it is necessary to respect waiting times before consuming meat or products of animal origin so that they are completely free of antibiotic residues.