The British Poultry Council (BPC) has released its 2025 Antibiotic Stewardship Report, confirming an 83% drop in antibiotic use across the poultry meat industry since 2012. The organisation attributes the achievement to a stewardship framework built on collaboration, transparency, and data sharing.
The report highlights an 83.22% reduction in total antibiotic use, a 99.34% cut in the use of Critically Important Antibiotics, and the continued absence of preventative antibiotic treatments. These results keep the sector well within the government’s RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture) targets.
The UK poultry industry was the first to adopt a voluntary strategy for responsible antibiotic use in 2011, setting the tone for long-term improvements in both production practices and animal welfare. The BPC noted that antibiotics are administered only under veterinary supervision when absolutely necessary.
Unlike previous reports, this year’s edition is presented as a collection of “postcards,” each illustrating a guiding principle behind the sector’s stewardship approach. The council said this design reflects not just the scale of reduction but the values driving it, with an emphasis on continuous improvement and responsible practice.
The BPC reaffirmed its commitment to building trust through openness and collaboration, stressing that progress in poultry production plays a vital role in the wider global effort to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
