Combating Antibiotic Resistance Among Humans: Government Plans Ban On ‘Colistin’ Which Helps Chicken Grow Faster

The government has initiated a ban on the use of antibiotic Colistin, widely used in the poultry industry in India to make animals grow faster. The increased use of colistin in livestock for commercial purposes has triggered anti-biotic resistance in humans, Mint reported.

Earlier this year, a report by the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism had found that chickens raised in India were dosed with some of the most potent antibiotics available. The report also found that Venky’s, vendor for prominent brands such as KFC and McDonalds used Colistin in their products.

The drug reportedly helps chickens gain weight faster. During its investigation, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism was able to buy Venky’s Colistin in India without a prescription. It found that growth-promoting antibiotics, including Colistin, remain widely available to Indian farmers through some international and domestic pharmaceutical companies. “The bureau found multiple examples of Indian drug manufacturers selling Colistin as a growth promoter for chickens,” said its report.

However, government agencies such as department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare, the drug controller general of India have examined the issue and recommended that Colistin cannot be used. The Drugs Technical Advisory Board has reportedly taken a call on the issue and recommended a ban on the use of Colistin.