Immunity

Why immunity is now a business question

Society. Antimicrobial resistance has become a public health issue. In the EU/EEA alone, resistant infections cause more than 35,000 deaths a year, and consumers, retailers and governments increasingly ask how antibiotics are used in animal production. Asia holds two thirds of the world's hotspots of antimicrobial use in food animals.

Future needs. Demand for animal protein keeps growing. According to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, poultry will account for about half of the additional meat consumed over the coming decade, led by Asia, while poultry is also the main growth meat in the Near East and North Africa. More production on the same farms means higher disease pressure, so flocks and herds must be more robust, not more medicated.

Changing approaches. The focus is moving from treating disease to preventing it: good management, vaccination, and nutrition that supports the animal's own defences.

Legislation. The EU banned antibiotic growth promoters in 2006. Since January 2022, Regulation (EU) 2019/6 prohibits routine prophylactic use of antimicrobials and allows group treatment only when the risk of spread is high and no appropriate alternative exists. The Farm to Fork strategy aims to cut antimicrobial sales for farmed animals and aquaculture by 50% by 2030. China banned growth-promoting drug feed additives in 2020.