Public Health Concern and Expert Findings
- The Subcommittee on Veterinary Drugs of the National Drug Committee under the Department of Health identified a significant public health risk due to chloramphenicol residues in meat, milk, and eggs.
- A Department of Agriculture task force independently confirmed these findings.
- The joint conclusions highlight the dangers of residues that accumulate in food-producing animals and the potential impact on human health.
Key Findings Regarding Drug Use and Residues
- Chloramphenicol’s use in humans should be strictly controlled and only under physician prescription following proper diagnosis.
- In animals, residues accumulate in tissues, which humans ingest through consuming animal products.
- The safety levels for human exposure to chloramphenicol residues cannot be reliably determined, and international bodies have refrained from setting acceptable residue limits due to potential risks to sensitive populations.
- Use of chloramphenicol in food animals may cause serious adverse effects such as aplastic anemia in humans and promote bacterial resistance.
Official Prohibitions and Directives
- An outright ban on the use of chloramphenicol in all food-producing animals, including aquaculture, irrespective of how it is administered, is established.
- Withdrawal of registration for chloramphenicol products intended for food animals, with disapproval of future applications for related drug registrations.
- Mandated enforcement of the ban and public education efforts by all relevant authorities and personnel.
Legal and Administrative Orders
- The Secretaries of Agriculture and Health jointly issued the order to enforce the ban based on expert recommendations.
- This order reflects cooperation between health and agricultural sectors to safeguard public health.
- Compliance with the order is compulsory and supported by official signatures from the Secretaries of Health and Agriculture, dated April 30, 1990.