A multi-agency investigation into the use of illegal antibiotics on a poultry unit in Tyrone led to a police raid on the premises on Thursday, the Irish Farmers Journal has learned.
The farmer is understood to be a major Moy Park supplier based in Co Tyrone.
The case centres around alleged use of prescription-only medicines (POM) in the poultry’s water supply without the products being prescribed by a vet.
Authorities are understood to be investigating the possibility that the medicines were illegally purchased over the internet and imported from abroad.
Investigation
On enquiry, a spokesperson for Moy Park said: “This matter is being investigated by the relevant authorities. Any breach of the strict regulation on the use of veterinary medicine is unlawful and completely unacceptable to us.”
The investigation involves officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the Department of Health and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
A Department of Health spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal: "A multi-agency operation led by the Department of Health’s Medicine Regulatory Group involving the PSNI and DAERA was carried out on Thursday in the County Tyrone area in pursuance of offences under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013.
"A number of items were removed for examination. An investigation is ongoing."
Antibiotic use
The poultry industry has made significant progress in cutting use of all classes of antibiotics in recent years to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The latest figures from the British Poultry Council show that antibiotic usage in the UK poultry industry fell by 82% from 2012 to 2017.
Improvements in areas such as housing, husbandry, genetics and diagnostics have contributed to the significant drop in antibiotic use.
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