Assessment of Consumer Perceptions on the Use of Antimicrobials in Production Animals in Chile

Successful treatment of diseases that sicken food-producing animals requires the use of antimicrobials. However, these drugs could result in serious consequences for human, animal, and environmental health. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance requires better communication with consumers to inform them about the risks associated with the use of these drugs, as well as the benefits gained from their rational use. This work studied consumer perceptions about the use of antimicrobials in the production of animal origin foods by questioning 72 consumers in nine focus groups. The participants were all inhabitants of the Metropolitan Region, Chile, and were assigned to focus groups of 5 to 12 individuals each, according to their age: age groups I, II, and III spanned age ranges of 25 to 35, 36 to 50, and older than 50 years, respectively. Consumers regarded the use of antimicrobials in farm animals as a relevant and necessary practice, as long as it was done adequately by veterinarians to ensure productivity and to guarantee food quality and safety. Even though most consumers identified antimicrobial use as a potential risk to their health, only a few recognized that antimicrobial resistance could be transferred from animals to humans via food consumption. Also, consumers complained that they did not have access to enough information about foods of animal origin. Consequently, they stated that food industry and regulatory entities should ensure transparency of production processes and also educate the population on this topic. Consumer perceptions about responsible and judicious use of antimicrobials may become an ally in the effort to reduce and improve the use of these drugs in animal production systems.