DECLARING A BAN ON THE USE OF CHLORAMPHENICOL IN FOOD PRODUCING ANIMALS

Chloramphenicol is an active ingredient of drug products with a
proven value as an antibiotic for life threatening infections in humans.
It is also being used by mixing with feed for animals raised as food.

1.  The Subcommittee on Veterinary Drugs of the National Drug
Committee at the Department of Health has determined that the use of
chloramphenicol in food producing animals presents a clear public health
danger resulting from high levels of chloramphenicol residues in meat,
milk and eggs.  The said subcommittee, therefore, recommends the
prohibition in the use of chloramphenicol for such purposes.

2.  A task force created by the Department of Agriculture has also
come to the same conclusions, and therefore concurs with the same
recommendation.

3.  Based on the work of these expert committees, the Departments of
Agriculture and Health have agreed on the following findings:

3.1  Chloramphenicol is a useful drug for treating infections in
humans.  Its value, however, requires that it be used discriminately
through physicians’ prescription after a sound diagnosis.

3.2  When used in animals raised for food, chloramphenicol residues
build up in animal tissues that are eventually ingested by humans when
these are consumed.  The human tolerance for such residues cannot be
established because the effect may or may not be related to the dose or
the duration of exposure.  In fact, the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee
on Food Additives has not recommended an acceptable residue level since
no assurance can be given that even low residue levels would be safe for
certain sensitive individuals.

3.3  Indiscriminate or even discriminate use of chloramphenicol in
food producing animals can lead to build-up of residues in food derived
from such animal causing (a) increased chance of human exposure to
possibility of aplastic anemia, one of the rare but fatal conditions
associated with chloramphenicol, and (b) alteration of microbial ecology
leading to increased chloramphenicol-resistance of human pathogens.

Now, therefore, we, the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health, jointly and severally order the following:

1.       Chloramphenicol is banned from use in all food producing
animals, including in aquaculture, regardless of the route of
administration.

2.       Registration of chloramphenicol products for use in
food-producing animals, is withdrawn and future applications for similar
registration shall be disapproved.

3.       All concerned personnel are instructed to implement the ban and educate the public on the reasons for such ban.

For compliance.

Adopted: 30 April 1990

(SGD.) ALFREDO R.A. BENGZON, M.D Secretary of Health

(SGD.) SENEN C. BACANI Secretary Department of Agriculture