Are antibiotic growth promoters used in animal feed?

The fact that the use of antibiotics as growth promoters has been banned in Europe remains widely unknown amongst the general public. This was recently demonstrated in the latest European barometer 522 on Antimicrobial Resistance (2022) which showed that only 42% of EU citizens know that using antibiotics to stimulate growth in farm animals is banned within the EU.  

Since the 2006 EU ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters, other continents have decided to follow this example underpinning the position of the EU as a best practice region as outlined in the EU One Health Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance.

Sources:
– Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition 
– http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-05-1687_en.htm
– https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2632