Antibiotics are an invaluable resource for the industry to ensure that chickens keep or regain their health. Both in human and in animal health applications of antibiotics, development of resistance to antibiotics is of concern. For this reason, antibiotics of importance in human health are generally not registered for use in livestock and use of any antibiotics in animals has to be approved by the federal authority (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)). The industry has adopted an antibiotics policy which sets out the responsible use of antibiotics that it advocates.

A range of documents are available on this website related to antibiotics, antibiotic resistance and antibiotic residues. This page serves as a convenient starting point to explore the more detailed documents available on this website.  The main pages and texts include:

Media statement - November 2005:  http://www.chicken.org.au/page.php?id=17&item=5

National Residue Survey (which demonstrates the absence of antibiotic residues in chicken meat):  http://www.chicken.org.au/page.php?id=14&issue=13

The industry's position statement regarding antimicrobial resistance is available here.

Antimicrobial Resistance in Food studies undertaken by the Australian Government can be accessed through the links below:

Department of Health and the Ageing: Pilot survey for antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria in Australian food

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry: Pilot Surveillance Program for Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria of Animal Origin