Antibiotics and food
Last updated August 2011
What is antibiotic resistance?
Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria can withstand treatment to one or more antibiotics. Some bacteria are naturally resistant to antibiotics, while others can develop resistance through mutation (random changes to DNA) or sharing of genetic material. Diseases caused by resistant bacteria can be very difficult to treat.
What is the concern with antibiotic resistance?
There is some concern in the community that bacteria are increasingly developing antibiotic resistance. It is thought resistance mostly happens due to the overuse of antibiotics in human medicine, but there is concern it could happen due to the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals.
A committee established to look at this issue reported to the government that it is highly unlikely residues in food would lead to resistance because residues in food are already very low and are likely to be further reduced by cooking, other food processing and by metabolism in the gut.
Are antibiotic residues in the Australian food supply?
Farmers use antibiotics to keep their animals healthy and as a result low residues of antibiotics may be present in some of the foods we eat .
Standard 1.4.2 in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code lists the maximum permissible limits for antibiotic residues in food and food cannot be sold if it contains residues above these limits.
State and Territory agriculture departments control and monitor the use of antibiotic products. Regular tests show antibiotic residues rarely exceed the limits set in the Code.
Also, surveys such as the Australian National Residue Survey monitor residues of antibiotics in food and check compliance with the limits in the Code.
During 2009-10, the National Residue Survey tested 15,654 samples of animal products for a range of residues and found 99.89% of samples tested were compliant with Australian standards. Although 40 samples did contain residues, only one had a residue in excess of the Australian MRL, meaning 99.97% of samples tested for antibiotics complied with the Australian standard.
Do antibiotic residues in food pose a risk to our health?
Before an antibiotic can be legally used, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) must be satisfied that it will not result in residues that would be an undue risk to the safety of people.
There are industry programs and veterinary programs in place to support the correct use of antibiotics in animal production.
FSANZ also ensures potential residues in treated food do not represent an unacceptable risk to public health and safety. In assessing this risk, FSANZ conducts dietary exposure assessments in accordance with internationally accepted practices and procedures.
Antibiotic resistant marker genes are sometimes used in the production of genetically modified foods. However, the World Health Organization’s Food Safety Unit has concluded that the chance of these genes affecting human health is effectively zero.
In response to fears about the use of antimicrobials in some New Zealand apple orchards , FSANZ conducted a risk assessment and found a negligible food safety concern.