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The Union health ministry has banned the import, manufacture, sale and distribution of antibiotic chloramphenicol and nitrofurans class of drugs for use in any food-producing animal rearing system with immediate effect.
The move is following recommendation from the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC), which observed that these drugs are misused for poultry and other animal feed supplements. The notification is also issued after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB).
The Ministry said that the Central government is satisfied that the use of drug formulations containing chloramphenicol or nitrofurans drugs are likely to involve risk in any food producing animal rearing system and safer alternatives to the drugs are available.
"...Central government is satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in the public interest to prohibit the import, manufacture, sale and distribution of all formulations containing chloramphenicol or nitrofurans drugs for use in any food producing animal rearing system," said the notification.
The DCC meeting held in January, 2024, agreed to the ban considering the proposal in the backdrop of a representation submitted by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) before the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in May, 2023.
The matter was considered earlier by the Empowered Committee on Animal Health (EACH) on whether to ban bulk packing of these two substances or to ban their usage entirely for food producing animal rearing systems and the Committee accepted the proposal.
Following this, the ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry & dairying had issued a memorandum on October 6, 2023 to MPEDA stating that the Committee has no objection on the total ban on import, production, distribution and sales of Chloramphenicol and nitrofuran drugs for use in any food producing animal rearing system.
The MPEDA has requested the ministry of health & family welfare to take the necessary steps to implement a complete ban on the import, production, distribution and sales of chloramphenicol and nitrofurans drugs for use in any food-producing animal rearing system “as observed by regulatory subcommittee of the EACH of DAHL.”
The DCC also noted that according to a notification issued by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) on July 20, 2018, various antibiotics and veterinary drugs including nitrofurans i.e. furaltadone, furazolidone, nitrofurantoin nitrofurazone and chloramphenicol are not permitted to be used at any stage of processing of meat and meat product, poultry, and eggs, seafood including shrimps, prawns or any variety of fish and fishery products.
"The extraneous maximum residue limit of 0.001 mg/kg will be applicable except for chloramphenicol for which it shall be 0.0003mg/ kg (0.3microgram/kg)," it added.
The members of the DCC during the meeting opined that many times drugs are being misused for poultry and other animal feed supplements.
"...therefore the committee agreed with the proposal for ban on the import, production, distribution & sales of chloramphenicol and nitrofuran drugs for use in any food-producing animal rearing system," it concluded.
Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic used to treat various bacterial infections, by stopping production of proteins, thus stopping bacterial growth. However, it could also result in side effects including bone marrow suppression and diarrhoea.
The class of nitrofurans are used as antibiotics to treat urinary infections among others. These drugs are also used as antibacterials in food-producing animals.
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