Labelling and quality of antimicrobial products used in chicken flocks in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.
Yen NTP., Phu DH., Van Cuong N., Kiet BT., Hien BV., Padungtod P., Truong DB., Thwaites GE., Carrique-Mas JJ.
BackgroundThe Mekong Delta of Vietnam is a hotspot of antimicrobial use (AMU), but there is no information on the quality of the labelling and strength of antimicrobial products used in poultry production.MethodsBased on a large random sample of farms, we identified the 20 most used antimicrobial products in the area, and investigated their antimicrobial active ingredient (AAI) content by UPLC-MS/MS (91 analytical tests).ResultsOnly 17/59 (28.8%) batches contained all AAIs within 10% of the declared strength. Worryingly, 65.0% products provided in their label preparation guidelines for both therapeutic and prophylactic use. Withdrawal times for both meat and eggs were stated in 8/20 (40%) products.ConclusionResults highlight deficiencies in quality and labelling contents that undermine authorities' efforts to discourage inappropriate use of antimicrobials.