WASHINGTON, D.C.: The pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will voluntarily suspend US sales of a poultry-pumping additive, which is also sold in several other countries including the Philippines, after studies showed that it can leave traces of arsenic in chicken livers, the US government said on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that the move followed a study of 100 broiler chickens, which found that those treated with the animal drug 3-Nitro, or Roxarsone, had higher levels of inorganic arsenic in their livers than untreated chickens.
The levels detected were “very low” and do not pose a health risk, the FDA said.
The drug is marketed by Alpharma, a subsidiary of Pfizer, and has been used since the 1940s to ward off infection, make chicken skins more yellow and boost the birds’ growth.
“FDA detected increased levels of inorganic arsenic in the livers of chickens treated with 3-Nitro, raising concerns of a very low but completely avoidable exposure to a carcinogen,” said Michael Taylor, FDA deputy commissioner for foods.
“We are pleased to announce that the company is cooperating with us to protect the public health,” he added.
The order will take effect in 30 days.
The FDA approved 3-Nitro in 1944, when it became the first arsenic-containing new animal drug product approved by the US regulatory agency.
It is fed mainly to chickens but is also used for swine and turkeys.
Most of its sales are in the United States, though US regulators said that they would share their findings with international governments.
A Pfizer spokesman said that 3-Nitro is marketed for use in both poultry and swine not only in the Philippines, but also in Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The drug is approved for poultry only in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Australia, Pakistan and Jordan.
Arsenic-based food additives are banned in Europe, according to an industry newsletter published by the Netherlands-based Worldpoultry.net.
Perdue, a major chicken producer in the United States, said that it has not used Roxarsone in several years and saw no decline in flocks’ health.
“We phased out the use of this animal health feed additive in April 2007 as we improved our flock health and management programs,” spokesman Joe Forsthoffer said in an email to Agence France-Presse.
“We’ve found that, through improved flock health programs and housing environments, we are able to produce healthy chickens without it,” he added. –AFP
March –
IT’S WOMEN’S MONTH!
“Respect and support women
every day of the year/s!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the recommendations of the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry
against serious violations of protocols of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association.
Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
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Monthly Observances:
Women’s Role in History Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Environmental Week;
Women’s Week
Week 3: Philippine Industry and “
Made-in-the-Philippines Products Week
Last Week: Protection and Gender-Fair Treatment
of the Girl Child Week
Daily Observances:
March 8: Women’s Rights and
International Peace Day;
National Women’s Day
March 4: Employee Appreciation Day
March 15: World Consumer Rights Day
March 18: Global Recycling Day
March 21: International Day for the Elimination
of Racial Discrimination
March 23: International Day for the Right to the Truth
Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations
and for the Dignity of Victims
March 25: International Day of Remembrance of the
Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
March 27: Earth Hour
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