France bans the import of meat from animals on growth antibiotics

Crates of chickens and other poultry displayed for sale in a market near Paris, February 21, 2006. REUTERS/Franck Prevel

PARIS, Feb 22 (Reuters) – France on Tuesday adopted a decree banning imports of meat from animals treated with growth antibiotics – a practice banned in livestock farming in the European Union since 2006 – to an extent which would mainly affect the poultry market.

France is anticipating an EU-wide measure that was due to come into force at the end of last month but was delayed by the lack of legislation on health checks, the agriculture ministry said in a statement. communicated.

The French ban will come into force on April 22, giving professionals two months to obtain assurances from their suppliers that the meat does not come from a farm using growth antibiotics and modify their supply chain if necessary.

By giving antibiotics when animals are not sick, bacteria become accustomed to the remedy and gradually develop resistance, making antibiotics less effective when they are really needed, the ministry said. Read more

Poultry would be by far the biggest market affected by the ban, an official from the French agriculture ministry said.

France imported around 45% of the chicken it consumed last year, including European and non-European origins, French poultry industry group Anvol said on Tuesday.

The EU mainly imports poultry from Brazil, Thailand and Ukraine. It was not immediately clear how much of the imports might be affected by the ban.

Anvol welcomed France’s decision, but said the ban would only be effective when applied EU-wide, as many imports pass through the port of Rotterdam.

Report by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Lisa Shumaker

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