Agriculture.ph Blog

Stop using dangerous chemicals in veterinary drugs

The continued use of banned chemicals in the manufacture of veterinary products, including those that may cause cancer, must stop, Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Jesus M. Paras told various stakeholders in the livestock, poultry, and aquaculture industries who met the other day to finalize the guidelines in implementation of a National Veterinary Drug Residues Control Program.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap recently issued an order (DA-AO-14) that sets into motion the program that seeks to make sure that all meats and other animal-produced food raised in the country are safe for humans and to the environment.

“Modern food production systems should be designed and managed to ensure that the exposure of food producing animals to veterinary drugs does not pose a risk to human health,” Undersecretary Paras stressed.

Also to be banned, he said, is the slaughter of animals treated with veterinary drugs when these are under withdrawal period from those drugs.

Paras told the food animal producers, farm veterinarians, veterinary drug manufacturers, traders, and distributors that they will be held responsible in ensuring that the foodstuff they produce and sell to the public are safe.

He said that the competent arms of the government like the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), the Bureau of Animal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), must work as a team in controlling the use of veterinary drugs and checking on sound practices.

He said he will be recommending to Secretary Yap that the NMIS be over-all coordinator of the drug residues control program in food.

Paras explained that the local program is guided by the international food law. The implementing guidelines were prepared by a technical committee. Industry participants in the working conference were asked to help finalize the guidelines.

The new order regulating veterinary drugs, and other recent orders issued by the secretary of agriculture “are designed specifically to strengthen the position of the Filipino agri-fishery industry’s position in both the local and foreign markets,” he said.

Europe, the United States, and Japan have recently been tightening their health, safety, and environment standards on most of their imports, especially food products.

Source: www.mb.com.ph