Scope of Banned Veterinary Drugs and Beta-Agonists
- Veterinary drugs such as Chloramphenicol, Carbadox, Olaquindox, and Nitrofurans prohibited in all food animals, including livestock, poultry, and aquaculture.
- Beta-agonist drugs like Clenbuterol, Salbutamol, Terbutalin, and Pirbuterol banned for use as lean meat enhancers in food animals.
- Bans cover administration via feed, water, or any other means.
Detection of Banned Substances in Feeds and Animal Tissues
- Presence of banned veterinary and beta-agonist drugs found in livestock, poultry, and aquaculture feeds.
- Residues of these substances detected in meat, fishery products, milk, and eggs.
Risks and Impacts of Mycotoxins in Animal Feeds
- Mycotoxins such as aflatoxin, ochratoxin, zearalenone, fumonisin, and vomitoxin originate from molds or fungi contaminating feeds.
- These mycotoxins are potent liver toxins and carcinogens causing liver damage, necrosis, tumors, and animal death.
- Economic and commercial losses in livestock and poultry industries due to mycotoxin contamination.
Human Health Risks from Mycotoxin-contaminated Food Chain
- Mycotoxins can enter the human food chain via contaminated animal feeds and accumulate in milk and edible tissues.
- Consumption of contaminated products may lead to harmful effects in humans.
Public Demand for Regulation and Monitoring
- Strong public demand for strict monitoring and surveillance of banned, misbranded, counterfeit, unregistered, unsafe, unlabelled, tampered, and altered veterinary and beta-agonist drugs.
- Public calls for monitoring presence of mycotoxins in feeds and enforcement of withdrawal periods for prescription veterinary drugs.
Emphasis on Feed and Food Safety Practices
- Global concern on feed and food safety requires implementation of Good Practices, Quality Assurance Programs, Herd Health Surveillance Programs, and educational initiatives.
- These programs are essential components of good husbandry practices.
Government Responsibility and Regulatory Action
- Government tasked with issuance of comprehensive and strengthened programs addressing concerns on banned drugs and mycotoxin contamination.
- The Secretary of Agriculture issued this Administrative Order to enforce strict monitoring and rational use of prescription veterinary drugs.
Effectivity and Supersession
- The Order takes immediate effect upon approval.
- It supersedes all inconsistent prior orders or regulations related to the subject matter.
Signatories
- Signed by Arthur C. Yap, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
- Recommended by Davinio P. Catbagan, DVM, Officer-in-Charge, Bureau of Animal Industry.