UK Parliament / Open data

Antibiotics (Intensive Farms)

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. I will come to that point in about 20 seconds if he does not mind, because I want to demonstrate the vigour with which the industry has in the past resisted and will continue to resist any change such as I have described. Indeed, I had a briefing yesterday from the British Poultry Council that included some fascinating statements. In it, the BPC says:

“There is no scientific evidence that intensive farming systems contribute more to the overall risk of antibiotic resistance than extensive farming systems.”

On the contrary, two DEFRA-funded reports find that antibiotic resistance is roughly 10 times lower in organic chickens and pigs than in conventional equivalents. The BPC says in the same report:

“The industry is not aware of any recent evidence that ESBLs”—

extended-spectrum beta-lactamases—

“(E.COLI) are increasing in chicken farms across the UK.”

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
556 c146WH 
Session
2012-13
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
Back to top