Russia's ban on the import of Sütaş products on the grounds that banned substances were detected brought up the issue of antibiotics in food, a topic that concerns all of us closely, but that never got the attention it deserves in the dust of the political agenda.We are not aware of it because we are busy with (!) more important issues such as the sins committed by the "CeHaPe mentality" during the single-party period and the secret forces behind Gezi, but there is a very serious debate going on in the world on this issue.Research shows that overuse of drugs in animals leads to the development of resistance to antibiotics in humans.It is feared that this could lead to the birth of new diseases that are resistant to existing antibiotics.The European Union therefore banned the use of antibiotics as food supplements in animals in 1997.(*)But he could not prevent the use of antibiotic-added foods.It is possible to buy antibiotic food supplements online with one click, for example, from Alibaba.com.Delivery to the door in one week: https://turkish.alibaba.com/g/tilmicosin-injection.htmlWhy can't livestock producers give up antibiotic food supplements?I asked my doctor friends the reason for this, they explained as follows:After learning the background of the antibiotics issue, we can now focus on Sütaş…Upon the discovery that Russia detected tilmicosin and spiramycin in Sütaş products, the company issued a statement.Let's read this statement first:“The lower limits of spiramycin and tilmicosin, which are said to contain in our milk powder, are 200 micrograms/kilogram and 50 micrograms/kilograms, respectively, according to EU standards and Turkish Food Codex.The Russian laboratory claims to have detected 1.5 micrograms/kilogram.We are surprised and saddened by the decision to detect and ban a substance with an accepted lower limit of 200 micrograms/kilogram as 1.5 micrograms/kilogram, and present it to the public's discretion.”In short, Sütaş says, "I used antibiotics but at the allowed rate".Tilmicosin is an antibiotic used in the treatment of respiratory infections (eg, pneumonia) in animals.Spiramycin has many uses for various infections.Both drugs belong to the macrolide family of antibiotics.From the 1960s to the late 1990s, macrolides were widely used by livestock breeders around the world, both as medicine and as a food supplement.As I have just mentioned, their use as a food supplement was banned in 1997 when it was revealed that they cause the development of resistance to antibiotics and may cause diseases that current drugs cannot treat.Its use as a medicine in animals is also subject to strict rules.Many pharmaceutical companies do not recommend the use of tilmicosin in lactating animals.For example, the Turkish leaflet of a drug containing tilmicosin reads:It should not be used in cows producing milk for human consumption.The drug would remain in the milk. Due to the long purification period, it is not recommended to be applied to sheep from which milk is obtained for human consumption.(**)The European Medicine Agency, the pharmaceutical agency of the European Union, allows the use of macrolide antibiotics due to their effectiveness against diseases, provided that they are not overused and used unnecessarily.(***)Why is the frequent use of antibiotics in animals objectionable?Doctors explain the reason for this as follows:* Excessive use of antibiotics indicates that the animals are not kept in good conditions and are not well fed.It is not recommended to drink the milk of unhealthy animals.Let's summarize what we have learned: Food supplements with antibiotic additives are prohibited in animals.The use of drugs is allowed provided that it is not excessive.However, it is not recommended for use in dairy animals.Sütaş says that antibiotics are used at the allowable dose.It is clear that the issue is much more important than the debate over who organized Gezi.(I wonder if anyone cares?)(*) https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/safety/docs/animal-feed_additives_rules_scan-old_report_out06.pdf(**) https://vetilac.com/ilac/tilmicure/1752(***) https://www.ema.europa.eu/documents/scientific-guideline/reflection-paper-use-macrolides-lincosamides-streptogramins-mls-food-producing-animals-european_en.pdfGoodbye.But let's not leaveProbably (as it has been for two months), the exchange rate will be left to flow, interest rate cuts will continue, the reserve deficit will be tried to be closed against possible attacks before the election, and we will continue on the road with faith.Do they still stand tall behind the AKP, which they mercilessly supported until 2018?Or are they tired of adventurism and incompetence in economy and foreign policy?© All rights reserved.