September 2, 2008
South Korea to ban antibiotics in animal feed
South Korea will soon ban some popular antibiotics fed to poultry, livestock and fish from next year, authorities said Sunday (August 31, 2008).
The move came as excessive use of antibiotics in feeding can help bacteria develop resistance, threatening the health of people who then eat the
food, the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said.
Steady use of even small amount of antibiotics causes side effects that help bacteria develop resistance, without killing them, a KFDA official said.
Antibiotics for medical treatment would still be allowed.
The authorities made public seven blacklisted classes of antibiotics to be banned. The seven include penicillin, tetracyclineand colistine sulfate.
KFDA research in 2006 showed 40 percent of sampled meats tested positive for antibiotic-resistance. This was 10 to 20 percent higher than the standards of other countries.
The administration said continued antibiotic usage in livestock feed will raise the animals' tolerance and have an adverse effect on public health.