Recent moves to label animal products with terms such as “Antibiotic-free” and “Reared without antibiotics” have led the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance to reiterate that it does not support such marketing.

RUMA said that while it welcomes efforts being made to minimise antibiotic use through improved health and welfare, it cannot support the use of such phrases as they have the potential to mislead consumers.

The Alliance has voiced its concerns that consumers will be led to believe that milk or meat products not marketed with such terms will then be believed to contain antibiotics. RUMA is also concerned that the marketing could have welfare implications with animals being withheld treatment.

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