Polish poultry, pork may be unsafe: report

According to the National Audit Office, antibiotics had been used in 70 percent of the meat and 80 percent of the poultry produced on farms in Poland's western Lubuskie province where water and feed were monitored, Rzeczpospolita reported.

But “the official picture may not reflect reality” Rzeczpospolita quoted the audit office as saying. The paper added that there were holes in the system.

Rzeczpospolita reported that the audit office found that the documentation of veterinary care of livestock at Veterinary Inspection centres was incomplete, and in about half of cases those centres’ official records were based on farmers’ testimonies.

“The system of control cannot guarantee that meat intended for sale is safe for consumers,” the National Audit Office said, according to the paper.

Rzeczpospolita also reported that antibiotics for use in animals grew by 23 percent in Poland between 2011 and 2015.

The paper warns that studies show that antibiotics entering the human body from food could see the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

But Rzeczpospolita also cited Aleksandra Porada of the National Poultry Council as saying that antibiotics are expensive so farmers aren’t keen on using them.

Porada also said that antibiotic use in poultry was not unsafe if they exited the bird’s system before they were killed, adding that it took about ten days for the last dose of the medication to leave the body of a chicken which lives about 42 days, Rzeczpospolita said.

(vb/pk)