France bans imports of poultry from animals on antibiotics

10-03-2022 | |
From 22 April, France will no longer permit the import of poultry and other meat from animals treated with growth antibiotics. Photo: Mark Pasveer
From 22 April, France will no longer permit the import of poultry and other meat from animals treated with growth antibiotics. Photo: Mark Pasveer

In a decree that will affect the poultry market, primarily, France announces the ban of animal meat imports treated with growth antibiotics as of 22 April.

Reuters reports that France is anticipating an EU-wide measure that had been due to enter into force late January but was delayed by missing legislation on sanitary checks, the farm ministry said in a statement.

A French farm ministry official noted that poultry would, by far, be the biggest market affected by the ban, which will be effective on 22 April, giving the poultry sector 2 months to obtain an assurance from their suppliers that meat does not come from breeding using growth antibiotics, and to modify their supply chain if needed.

In 2021, France imported approximately 45% of the chicken it consumed, including both EU and non-EU origins, Reuters reports the French poultry industry group, Anvol, as saying. It added that Anvol welcomed France’s move but said the ban would only be effective when implemented EU-wide since a lot of imports transit through the port of Rotterdam.

The EU imports poultry primarily from Brazil, Thailand and Ukraine.

France has also recently outlawed the culling of male day-old chicks, as recently reported by Poultry World.

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Kinsley
Natalie Kinsley Freelance journalist
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