In recent years, there has been a huge increase in awareness of the need to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics used for humans by reducing their use within the farming sector. In a bid to reduce their use, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended that farmers and the food industry cease the routine use of antibiotic-free farming to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals. But why exactly is the use of antibiotics and antimicrobials in farming so problematic, and why have we at Riverside Foods become champions in eliminating their use on our farms?
Why is the use of antibiotics in farming problematic?
According to the WHO, in some countries, around 80% of the total consumption of ‘medically important’ antibiotics and antimicrobials is in the animal sector, largely to promote growth in healthy animals. While antibiotics can be essential in treating illness, their overuse contributes to broader antibiotic resistance and compromises animal welfare in the long term. Certain bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that can lead to serious infections in humans have become resistant to most (and in some cases all) of the medicines available to treat them. This is called Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR).
New antimicrobials, including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics, are in development, but given that this can take 10 to 15 years, these may be some time off yet. Furthermore, there is a need for greater innovation in this field to ensure that new effective medicines become available.
The risk of not having enough antibiotic medicines for human use cannot be overstated. More human illness and death will result if we don’t resolve the issue. This is why global leaders have recently committed to a declaration at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to reduce the estimated 4.95 million human deaths associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) annually by 10% by 2030.
In the words of WOAH Director General Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran, “Antimicrobials help animals and humans live longer, and healthier lives, but many of these life-saving drugs are dangerously losing their efficacy, which has devastating impacts not only on human health but also on livestock and the economy at large…Urgent action is needed, and we welcome the numerous commitments made by countries through this political declaration”.
Our commitment to antibiotic-free farming
At Riverside Foods, we are proud to have received the ‘manufactured without the use of antibiotics’ certification from DNV Adriatica d.o.o. based on the STP 80 specification. This certification guarantees that the turkeys and poultry we raise for meat have not been treated with antibiotics at any stage of their lives. By adopting this approach, we are not only promoting healthier living conditions for the animals but also supporting responsible farming practices that benefit the entire food chain.
The ‘manufactured without the use of antibiotics’ certification process involves a team of professionals from the certification company DNV Adriatica d.o.o., who follow strict criteria at every step of production. This process starts from the free-range breeding of parent flocks of laying hens for the production of hatching eggs, through the hatchery of day-old chicks and fattening of broilers, to technological processing in our own production facilities. The health and safety of our poultry are taken care of at all times by our own veterinary service and a laboratory where over 100,000 tests are carried out annually. Another aspect of the certification process is poultry feed, which greatly affects the composition of meat and other products. We ensure the high quality of the food we provide by producing our own product, giving us greater control over the whole process. Through this integrated process, we guarantee outstanding quality control and delivery of products directly to stores within the shortest times possible, ensuring the freshness and quality of the products that reach the final consumer.
Why prevention is key to antibiotic-free farming
Our antibiotic-free approach is based on prevention rather than treatment. We do this by enhancing the living conditions of the animals, working to the highest hygiene standards, and working closely with our suppliers to help them put in place better management practices. In addition, our suppliers have invested heavily in biosecurity measures and animal health monitoring to ensure that disease is prevented before it can take hold. However, we always maintain a flexible approach to ensure that, should an animal fall ill, it will receive the treatment it requires.
Final words
Our commitment to eliminating the use of antibiotics to treat the animals we rear is about protecting both animal and human health. We are achieving this not simply by ending the use of such medications but by improving how we farm and the conditions for our animals, reducing the need for antibiotics in the first place. Furthermore, our efforts to bring our farming standards to the highest available are also improving the quality of the products we offer.
