ZOOMBANGLA DESK: Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzaque today said there is no public health risk in consuming broiler chicken since a study found nominal presence of antibiotics in chicken which is much lower than the tolerable level.

“Broiler chicken is a safe and there is no public health risk in consuming the chicken,” he said while disclosing findings of a research at the Secretariat here.

Funded by the Agriculture Ministry, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC) conducted the study on 315 samples collected from 1,200 broiler chickens and 30 broiler chicken feeds from across the country to know about the presence of 10 antibiotics and three heavy metals, said a press release.

Razzaque said that the study found the nominal presence of two antibiotics – oxytetracycline and doxycycline – and three heavy metals – arsenic, chromium and lead – in the broiler chicken, which is much below the maximum tolerable level.

The level of antibiotics and lead in bones, liver and kidney as well as in broiler feed was also found lower than the highest tolerable level, he added.

About the use of ternary waste as broiler chicken feed, the agriculture minister said, “It is completely baseless. Because, currently the demand of poultry or chicken feed in the country is 95 lakh tons and cattle feed 145 lakh tons while the total tannery waste is only 85,000 tons”.

Razzaque put emphasize on making the broiler chicken popular among the people to meet the protein demand as well as build a healthy, capable and meritorious nation.

Fisheries and Livestock Minister S M Rezaul Karim, Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter, Fisheries and Livestock Ministry Secretary Dr Nahid Rashid, BARC Executive Chairman Dr Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, Principal Information Officer (PIO) Md Shahinoor Miah and members of the research team were present on the occasion, among others. (BSS)