BPC’s response to BBC Countryfile’s coverage on the use of ionophores (antiparasitics)

Tom Heap, Countryfile:

“With such a high concentration of birds, conditions and hygiene are vital. Richard (the farmer) monitors air quality humidity and water hoping to keep the risk of disease and the need for antibiotics to a minimum.”

Richard Williams, Broiler farmer:

“This particular site is nearly 4 years old and we have used antibiotics twice. It equates to 1.5% of the birds we rear here have had antibiotics. From a business point of view, we don’t want to use antibiotics. Antibiotics cost me money so if we can do without them, its better for the birds it’s better for me.”

BPC’s response

“Celebrating our world-leading bird health and welfare standards is at the heart of British poultry meat production. Our drive for excellence in bird health and welfare has been delivering responsible use of antibiotics and safeguarding their efficacy across the supply chain.

Since 2011, we’ve been ensuring that antibiotic therapies are used ‘only when necessary’, to protect the health and welfare of the birds under our care, and under the supervision of a veterinarian.

We’ve successfully reduced our antibiotic use by 82% in the last six years and have stopped all preventative treatments as well as the use of colistin. The highest priority antibiotics that are critically important for humans are used only as a ‘last resort’.”

Tom Heap, Countryfile:

“Is UK’s favourite meat close to becoming antibiotic free?”

Vox Pop (male):

“If raised as natural chicken they shouldn’t be having these medications anyway.”


John Reed, BPC Antibiotic Stewardship:

“Antibiotic free is an aspiration. We want to use the least amount of antibiotics given to the least number of animals. But if an animal is sick and the vet says that if you give them some antibiotics, it will help cure them, then we’ll always do that.”

BPC’s response

“The success of our Stewardship is down to the commitment of the sector and its people to only use antibiotics when necessary to treat sick birds.

The British poultry meat industry stands committed to using antibiotics responsibly and ‘only when necessary’ to protect the health and welfare of our birds. UK poultry farmers and veterinarians need antibiotics in their toolbox to preserve the health and welfare of birds.

Delivering excellence in bird health and welfare is the foundation of responsible use of antibiotics. Responsible use of antibiotics is about so much more than reduction targets. Zero use is neither ethical nor sustainable as it goes against farmers’ duty to alleviate pain and suffering.”

Tom Heap, Countryfile:

“We’ve discovered that there is a hidden mountain of antimicrobial drugs still being used on many of UK’s chicken farms that are not the AMR hitlist, but they operate in a very similar way to antibiotics. They are drugs that campaigners fear pose a threat to human health and the environment. They are known as ionophores and they are added to chicken feed to prevent gut infections.”

BPC’s response

“We’re committed to upholding UK’s position at the forefront of international efforts to keep antibiotics effective for future generations and tackling Antimicrobial Resistance. Suggesting that the sector is hiding a mountain of drugs is speculative and shows lack of clarity around the classification and use of ionophores.

Ionophores are not antibiotics, they are antiparasitics. They are animal-only antimicrobials that are classed as feed additives by the Government’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate. The very way pet owners proactively treat their dogs and cats with wormers to control worms, poultry meat farmers use ionophores to control Coccidiosis (an intestinal parasitic disease) in their birds to alleviate pain and suffering.”

Tom Heap, Countryfile:

“Countries including the USA are in no doubt that these drugs are antibiotics. The EU and the UK have classed them simply as feed additives. While the use of antibiotics on that AMR hitlist has gone down to 14 tonnes. The use of ionophores has gone up by to a staggering 280 tonnes a year. I’ve looked at the dictionary definition of an antibiotic and these ionophores fit perfectly into that.”

John Reed, BPC Antibiotic Stewardship:

“Ionophores are classed as feed additives not classed as medicinal products. They are not used in humans. We report on antibiotics that are classed as antibiotics under the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.”


Colin Nunan, Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics:

“There are several instances where ionophores leave residues in food. Ionophores are potentially toxic antibiotics that can be harmful to consumers. These are actually antibiotics that can increase resistance to human antibiotics.”

BPC’s response

“We must steer clear of speculations when talking about such an important subject. The World Health Organisation, the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE), and the European Surveillance Programme of Veterinary Antibiotics have confirmed that ionophores have no impact to human health.

The European Food Safety Agency has also scrutinised the use of ionophores and published opinions have deemed them safe to be used as a feed additive with no risk to humans.

When we eat chicken, we’re not either eating the feed additives or the antibiotics that may be given to the bird. Also, there are strict regulations governing withdrawal period (how much time passes between when an animal is last treated with antibiotics and when it leaves the farm) that ensures that there are no residues in the meat.

The very way pet owners proactively treat their dogs and cats with wormers to control worms, poultry meat farmers use ionophores to control Coccidiosis (an intestinal parasitic disease) in their birds to alleviate pain and suffering.

Ionophores are used to control coccidiosis, maintain intestinal integrity, avoid pain and suffering and help deliver good bird health and welfare. If coccidiosis is not controlled, the parasite can cause enteritis in birds leading to intestinal inflammation, reduced absorptive capacity, increased podo-dermatitis, increased mortality and could require the use of medically important antibiotics.”


Colin Nunan, Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics:

“We’re calling for chickens to be kept in better conditions so that they don’t develop this terrible disease coccidiosis in the first place.”

BPC’s response

“British poultry meat industry takes prides in its good animal husbandry practices and its openness to accept change, encourage innovation and share best practice.

Bird health and welfare remains a top priority for poultry producers. Our ongoing collaboration with the FSA, Defra and VMD has ensured that the data measuring health and welfare of birds is in the public domain, so it can be scrutinised and challenged, and that is something we welcome.

In the context of coccidiosis (an intestinal parasitic disease), this disease is extremely common in all poultry worldwide regardless of the production system, including indoor-reared, free-range, and organic.”


Colin Nunan, Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics: (quoted from ASOA press release)

“Ionophores have a growth-promoting effect, as do several of the medically important antibiotics. Even though using antibiotics for growth promotion is no longer legal, the use of antibiotics for legal purposes can still promote growth.”

BPC’s response

“Ionophores are animal-only antimicrobials that are not classified as veterinary medicinal products and their usage is not linked to reduction in antibiotics. They are classed as feed additives by the Government’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Also the use of antibiotics for growth promotion has been banned across the EU since 2006.”