Government Ban Colistin in food producing Animals 

Pashu Sandesh, 23 July 2019

In a Gazette notification issued on 19th July, Ministry Health and Family Welfare, Government of India banned the use of Colistin Antibiotic in the food-producing Animals, Poultry and Aqua Farming. Here are the excerpts from the Gazette notification:

“It is brought to the notice of the Central Government that the use of the drug Colistin and its formulations for food-producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements is likely to involve risk to human beings; 

And whereas, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board has considered the said matter and recommended for prohibiting the said drug and its formulations for food-producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements; 

And whereas, the Central Government is satisfied that it is necessary and expedient in the public interest to prohibit the manufacture, sale and distribution of the drug Colistin and its formulations for food-producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements; 

Now, therefore, in the exercise of powers conferred by section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940), the Central Government hereby― 

• (a)  prohibits the manufacture, sale and distribution of the following drug with immediate effect, namely:―
  “Colistin and its formulations for food-producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplements”; and
• (b)  directs that the manufacturer of Colistin and its formulations shall label the container of the drug and mention the words “NOT TO BE USED IN FOOD PRODUCING ANIMALS, POULTRY, AQUA FARMING AND ANIMAL FEED SUPPLEMENTS” in a conspicuous manner on the package insert and promotional literature of the said drug and its formulations.

Colistin, also known as polymyxin E, is an antibiotic produced by certain strains of the bacteria Paenibacillus polymyxa. It remains one of the last-resort antibiotics for multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter. Antimicrobial use for growth promotion promoted the development of reservoirs of highly resistant bacteria in the poultry and other food-producing Animals prompting the Government to ban the use of Colistin.