Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has completed Australia’s most comprehensive national survey of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in raw retail beef, chicken and pork meat.
This survey was undertaken as part of the Australian Government One Health effort in addressing AMR, led by the Australian Centre for Disease Control, jointly with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, in collaboration with other Australian Government portfolios and agencies.
About the survey
- The survey sampled 4,151 raw retail beef, pork and chicken products collected across the greater metropolitan areas of all Australian capital cities between September 2022 and July 2023.
- FSANZ developed the surveillance plan to meet the highest international standards, with advice from an Expert Scientific Advisory Group with deep experience in AMR and AMR surveillance.
- FSANZ consulted with and worked alongside all states and territories to carry out the surveillance, through the Implementation Subcommittee for Food Regulation.
- Murdoch University completed all laboratory testing for AMR and whole genome sequencing to identify genes linked to resistance.
- The study first isolated the bacteria that was targeted, then checked how many were resistant to antibiotics and which antibiotics they could resist.
- Overall, the results are reassuring and demonstrate there is a low risk of food-borne bacteria causing resistant infections in people.
- Findings also highlight the importance of ongoing, coordinated surveillance across the food chain as well as high standards of food safety.
Key findings
- Overall resistance to antibiotics of high importance to human health was low across all meat types.
- Around two‑thirds of the bacteria isolated from raw meat samples were not resistant to any of the antibiotics tested.
- Multidrug resistance was low overall and, where present, mainly involved antibiotics of low importance to human health.
- Moderate resistance to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin was found in Campylobacter jejuni from chicken, despite these antibiotics never being registered for use in Australian food-producing animals. This reflects global trends and underscores the importance of continued monitoring.
Why AMR matters
AMR is a global health challenge that can make infections harder to treat. Monitoring AMR in the food supply is an important part of Australia’s coordinated, One Health response, which recognises the links between human, animal, food and environmental health.
Australia’s response to AMR is guided by the Australian Government National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy – 2020 and beyond.
Next steps
These findings provide an important national benchmark for future monitoring of AMR in food. FSANZ will continue to work with government partners, states and territories, and scientific experts to support Australia’s National Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy and strengthen coordinated surveillance over time.
Useful links
Read more about the survey: National surveillance of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in retail food
Learn about Australia’s response to antimicrobial resistance: https://www.amr.gov.au/
