Putting stringent controls in place to deal with notorious foodborne microbes such as E. coli 0157 will help curb the growing menace of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs", according to Dr Patrick Wall of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
Speaking yesterday at an international conference in London, the FSAI chief executive criticised those who blamed solely over-prescribing by doctors and hospitals as the root of the problem.
The conference was discussing proposals to tackle microbes with resistance to antibiotics.
Dr Wall said: "Widespread use of antibiotics, whether in a farm or hospital situation, exerts selective pressure on bacteria and resistant mutants emerge. Arguments that antibiotics are overused by GPs and in hospitals cannot be used to support overuse in agriculture and fish farming."
Commenting on 14 major salmonella outbreaks last year in the Republic (when many were infected by a strain resistant to six antibiotics), Dr Wall predicted a dramatic drop in egg-related salmonella cases following the introduction of a quality assurance scheme by Irish egg producers, if such eggs came to dominate the market.
He said resistant germs on farms were causing difficulties in controlling infections and requiring the use of more powerful and more expensive antibiotics. The concern was that these germs could be transferred into the food chain. The use of antibiotics on farms was not a substitute for good husbandry.
He asked if aggressive advertising by drug companies in marketing their product as a cure for all ills on farms ran contrary to sensible use.
He said at every stage of the food chain the emphasis should be on controlling all relevant germs. This should be backed by verifiable codes of practice, thus controlling resistant germs.
"Irrespective of whether bugs causing outbreaks are antibiotic-resistant or not, the control measures are the same; requiring a management commitment to food safety and hygiene, staff awareness and training and consumer education."
Meat inspection needed to be brought into the new millennium. The Danish model which used meat juice to classify herds and the salmonella status of flocks was the way forward. Ireland was adopting this to identify pig herds with salmonella problems and introducing "aggressive salmonella control".
Dr Wall said every food producer, processor and retailer would benefit from heeding the key consumer considerations, as defined by supermarket owner Mr Feargal Quinn. These were ranked in order of importance:
Is the food safe? Will it make my family ill?
Is it healthy?
Is it high quality? Will I enjoy eating it?
Is it good value?
Meanwhile, with confirmation that the number of recorded Irish cases of food poisoning increased sharply again in 1998, Dr Wall said these were likely to be only the tip of the iceberg. The figures, however, had to be put in the context of much better reporting, surveillance and monitoring of foodborne infection.
