The bans on using antibiotics as growth promotants for
livestock and poultry are almost meaningless, argues lawyer Ron Doering, the
first president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The bans were announced by regulators and pharmaceutical
companies earlier this month.
But Doering says the bans are meaningless because farmers
will still be allowed to use low levels of antibiotics as a disease-prevention
measure.
Whoever thought up the brilliant public relations move to announce a ban ought to be fired immediately because it has robbed the industry of credibility. Who will trust the agriculture and food industry after this?
Doering notes that the Public Health Agency of Canada estimates
that 90 per cent of antibiotic use on farms is for disease prevention.
Presumably the other 10 per cent is for the treatment of
bacterial diseases and infections. That leaves nothing under the heading of “growth
promoting”.
He also says regulation is difficult in Canada because of
the split jurisdictions between the federal and provincial governments.
