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Review
. 2021 Mar 2;7(5):FSO692.
doi: 10.2144/fsoa-2020-0189.

Antimicrobial resistance in the farm-to-plate continuum: more than a food safety issue

Luria L Founou  1   2   3 , Raspail C Founou  2   4 , Sabiha Y Essack  2   4
Affiliations
Review

Antimicrobial resistance in the farm-to-plate continuum: more than a food safety issue

Luria L Founou et al. Future Sci OA. .

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens to reverse the essential benefits of antibiotics, not only in humans, where decades of advancements in healthcare outcomes are endangered, but also in the food production industry. As the world moves toward Sustainable Development Goals, food safety is a critical element to improve and strengthen global health, and ensure sustainable development. Emergence of AMR in the food production industry represents a serious risk for exposed workers, their relatives and consumers. This perspective presents the challenge of AMR through the lens of food safety, by highlighting its multisectoral and multidimensional implications not only on the Sustainable Development Goals for food safety and public health but also on food security, animal health and welfare, the environment and climate, and socioeconomic development.

Keywords: United Nations; animal health; antimicrobial resistance; climate change; food safety; food security; foodborne illness; human health; sustainable development.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial & competing interests disclosure SY Essack is chairperson of the Global Respiratory Infection Partnership and a member of the Global Hygiene Council both sponsored by unrestricted educational grants from Reckitt and Benckiser Ltd., UK. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Chart of 17 Icons of UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Multidimensional repercussions of the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in the farm-to-plate continuum.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Status Report on Antimicrobial Resistance. FAO, Rome, Italy: (2015).
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    2. • Understanding of the mechanisms and drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is essential to curb this threat to human and animal health.

    1. Founou LL, Founou RC, Essack SY. Antibiotic resistance in the food chain: a developing country-perspective. Front. Microbiol. 7(1881), (2016). - PMC - PubMed

    2. •• Shows that there are no geographic boundaries to hinder the worldwide spread of antibiotic resistance and evidences the danger posed by the emergence of antibiotic resistance in the food chain and particularly in developing countries as a serious threat for the global public health.

    1. O’Neill J. Tackling drug-resistant infections globally: final report and recommendations. In: Review On Antimicrobial Resistance. (2016).

    2. •• This report outlines final recommendations of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance to tackle AMR in a global manner.

    1. World Health Organization (WHO). WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases: foodborne disease burden epidemiology reference group 2007–2015. WHO, Geneva, Switzerland: (2015).

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