Antibiotic Resistance and Provenance Testing

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) prioritises the most threatening 'superbugs' in human medicine in the US and outlines four core actions to halt antibiotic resistance in pathogens.

CDC says 'Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013' offers a snapshot of the complex problem of antibiotic resistance today and the potentially catastrophic consequences of inaction.

The overriding purpose of the report, says CDC, is to increase awareness of the threat that antibiotic resistance poses and to encourage immediate action to address the threat.

The first section of the report provides context and an overview of antibiotic resistance in the US. It gives a nationwide assessment of the most dangerous antibiotic resistance threats, prioritising bacteria (and one fungus) into one of three categories: urgent, serious and concerning.

Other chapters cover what can be done to combat this growing threat and a summary of each of the pathogens covered by the report.

Commenting on the report, one campaign group - Food & Water Watch - took the opportunity to blame antibiotic resistance on 'factory farms', saying it should come as a wake-up call for that sector of the industry.

The Animal Health Institute (AHI), on the other hand, generally supported the findings of the report, saying that it confirms FDA’s developing policy to phase out growth promotion uses of medically important antibiotics and to phase in more veterinary oversight. AHI highlighted that, of the 18 specific antibiotic-resistant threats discussed in the report, only two have possible connections to antibiotic use in food animals.

In the UK, it is Red Tractor Week, offering opportunities for the promotion of the country's food quality assurance scheme.

Following extensive research and two years of development and rigorous testing, the British Pig Executive (BPEX) has introduced a scientifically-based system to enhance the integrity of provenance and traceability of Red Tractor pork. The test is known as SIRA – Stable Isotope Reference Analysis - and it links pork to its geographical area of production.

The test will be rolled out for other foods in future but the pig industry is the first sector to benefit from the test. The very first tests indicated that some supermarket pork chops had been incorrectly labelled as 'British'. The supermarket involved as well as its direct and indirect suppliers have denied any wrongdoing yet the developers of the test claim it has been "robust in trials".