Posted October 4, 2013
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will rescind approval for three arsenic containing drugs used in animal feeds, according to the New York Times, available here.
The “compounds – roxarsone, carbarsone, and arsanilic acid – have been used in 101 drugs added to feed for chickens, turkeys and pigs to prevent disease, increase feed efficiency and promote growth, according to the Center for Food Safety.”
The FDA action is in response to a 2009 petition by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) “on behalf of a coalition of US food and environmental groups” according to an article by Global Meat News, available here.
The FDA turned down the petition to ban a fourth arsenic containing drug, nitrasone, “stating that it was in the process of completing scientific studies in order to more fully evaluate any food safety concerns.”
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) said the FDA action was a “major victory” for consumers. Ben Lilliston, vice-president for program at IATP said, “The FDA’s response is long overdue to reduce exposure to arsenic and should launch a more comprehensive evaluation of health risks associated with animal feed produced by the pharmaceutical industry.”
The National Chicken Council noted that arsenic has not been used in US broiler chicken production since 2011, “when the manufacturers of the drugs – Zoetis and Fleming Labs – withdrew them voluntarily from the market.” Ashley Peterson, NCC vice-president of scientific and regulatory affairs said, “The only arsenical used as a feed additive in broiler production in the last 10 years, roxarsone, was suspended in 2011 and the product is no longer manufactured or used. No other feed additives containing arsenic are currently used in broiler meat production in the US.”
For more information on food safety issues, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
Share: