Feeding of macrolides to poultry endangers health
NEW ZEALAND - Routine feeding of macrolides to poultry endangers health. It is disturbing that the Poultry Industry Association appears unaware of what antibiotics are being used in their industry, says Green Health Spokesperson Sue Kedgley.The Association has denied that the industry feeds the antibiotic Erythromycin to poultry.
"The Green Party never suggested that the poultry industry used Erythromycin. What we said was that they used an antibiotic, tylosine, which is part of a group of antibiotics known as macrolides, of which Erythromycin is a member," said Ms Kedgley.
"In 2002, 7.5 tonnes of macrolides and lincosamides were fed to poultry.
"Antibiotics are fed prophylactically to intensively farmed animals, because the unhealthy practice of cramming animals in as small a space as possible makes them particularly susceptible to disease.
scoop.co.nz
31 May 2005
1 minute read
