Farmers have been advised to make sparing use of powerful drugs for animals, to prevent germs from developing resistance.
The advice is given in a joint foreword to the new Teagasc publication, Safe Use of Livestock Medicines, which was published yesterday.
Dr Patrick Wall, former chief executive of the Food Safety Authority, and Mr Pat O'Mahony, chief executive of the Irish Medicines Board, stress the importance to animal and human health of using antibiotics sparingly and not as a replacement for good husbandry.
"The more antibiotics used on farms the more likely it is that resistance will develop. These resistant germs can be carried with the animals into abattoirs and into the food chain and can infect humans," they write.
"Because of the risk of germs developing resistance after prolonged exposure to particular antibiotics, the most powerful drugs should be conserved for life-threatening illnesses in animals and humans," they advise.
"Ireland can hold its own, and out-compete, products from other parts of the world. However, demonstrable good practices have become as important as quality to differentiate Irish produce in the marketplace," they add.
Compiled by Mr Tony Pettit, national food assurance specialist with Teagasc, the 24-page guide gives detailed advice on the critical steps farmers must follow when using medicines in order to avoid risks to food safety, human health and animal welfare.
It brings together expertise from key national food safety and medicines regulatory bodies, including the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Food Safety Authority, the Irish Medicines Board and Veterinary Ireland, the representative body for veterinary surgeons.
Mr Pettit said that with close on €100m being spent by farmers on animal medicines each year, the importance of best practice was paramount.
"Continuous monitoring by the Department of Agriculture and Food shows a very low level of residues in milk and meat. But producers must exert constant vigilance," he said.