Veterinary Dept dismisses farm ‘superbug’ scare, reassures public on food safety

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Malaysia’s Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) has pushed back against claims that local farms are fuelling a “superbug” threat, insisting that animal-based food products in the country remain safe and that recent reporting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was inaccurate.

In a statement today, the department addressed concerns raised in two articles published by Malaysian media on January 3, noting that key data cited in the reports did not come from official surveillance.

“AMR surveillance findings reported by the department are derived from targeted national monitoring programmes designed to identify trends and must be interpreted within an appropriate epidemiological context. 

“These findings do not indicate compromised food safety or an uncontrolled public health risk,” it said.

DVS added that the antibiotic resistance figures for E. coli and Salmonella referenced in the reports, purportedly from 2024 livestock samples, “did not originate from the DVS”.

The department said AMR remains a complex issue shaped by factors including disease patterns, biosecurity practices and farm management — not merely antimicrobial use. 

It also stressed that Malaysia has banned the use of critically important antimicrobials for growth promotion and prophylaxis in the animal health sector since 2012, describing this as a core safeguard in its regulatory framework.

Food safety, it said, is backed by mandatory slaughterhouse inspections and annual testing under the National Food Safety Monitoring Programme, with further oversight by the Health Ministry through the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985.

DVS said it continues to implement the Malaysian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (MyAP-AMR) under a One Health approach coordinated by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Committee (NARC), involving agencies across human health, animal health, food safety and the environment.

Reaffirming its commitment to “transparent and science-based communication”, the department urged the public to rely on verified information from official channels.