Antimicrobial Resistance in Foods of Animal Origin in India: A Narrative Review of Implications for Food Safety and Public Health.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health challenge, and the food chain is increasingly recognized as an important pathway for transmission of resistant microorganisms from animals to humans. In India, extensive use of antimicrobials for therapeutic, prophylactic, and growth promoting purposes in food producing animals has raised serious food safety and public health concerns. The aim of this narrative review is to compile data from 2010–2025 on veterinary antimicrobials use, AMR trends and antimicrobial residues in milk, meat, poultry, eggs, and aquaculture products (including the environment) in India, and highlight gaps in surveillance and policy within a One Health approach. Evidence published shows that high levels of antimicrobial resistant pathogens (e.g., E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) occur in animal-derived food with public health risks from both consumption and handling for example, MRSA was detected in 46% raw milk samples and multidrug resistance of over 60% in some poultry isolates). The scaling-up of antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary practice, improved hygiene and biosecurity in the food chain, increasing integrative surveillance for AMR and better intersectoral coordination is essential to protect public health and ensure food safety in India.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), One Health, Veterinary Antimicrobial Use, Human, Antimicrobial Residues, Food Safety, Livestock, Antimicrobials.

1. Brower, C. H., Mandal, S., Hayer, S., Sran, M., Zehra, A., Patel, S. J., ... & Laxminarayan, R. (2017). The prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli in poultry chickens and variation according to farming practices in Punjab, India. Environmental health perspectives, 125(7), 077015. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Chakraborty, D., Debnath, F., Giri, S., Saha, S., Pyne, S., Chakraverty, R., ... & Dutta, S. (2024). Contribution of veterinary sector to antimicrobial resistance in One Health compendium: an insight from available Indian evidence. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 11, 1411160. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Chauhan, A. S., George, M. S., Chatterjee, P., Lindahl, J., Grace, D., & Kakkar, M. (2018). The social biography of antibiotic use in smallholder dairy farms in India. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 7(1), 60. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Chousalkar, K. K., Flynn, P., Sutherland, M., Roberts, J. R., & Cheetham, B. F. (2010). Recovery of Salmonella and Escherichia coli from commercial egg shells and effect of translucency on bacterial penetration in eggs. International journal of food microbiology, 142(1-2), 207-213. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. CII & FACE. (2025). Industry-led AMR Stewardship in Animal Agriculture. New Delhi: Confederation of Indian Industry. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. FAO & ICAR. (2019). White paper: Antimicrobial resistance in the animal sector in India. New Delhi: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. FAO & WHO. (2023). Foodborne antimicrobial resistance – Compendium of Codex standards. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. FAO. (2016). The FAO Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2016–2020. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Fayaz, I. B., Hussain, S. A., Zehgeer, M. M., Rather, M. A., Wani, S. A., Bhat, H., & Shehriyar, Q. (2023). Investigations on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolation and identification from milk and environmental sources. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 12(8S), 104-108. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. FSSAI. (2011). Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011 (Compendium). New Delhi: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. FSSAI. (2024). Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) First Amendment Regulations, 2024. Gazette Notification No. F.No.01-SP(PAR)-Notification-CTR-FSSAI-2023. New Delhi: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Gaurav, A., Gill, J. P. S., Aulakh, R. S., & Bedi, J. S. (2014). ELISA based monitoring and analysis of tetracycline residues in cattle milk in various districts of Punjab. Veterinary World, 7(1), 26-29 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Gopal, S., & Divya, K. C. (2017). Can methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevalence from dairy cows in India act as potential risk for community-associated infections: a review. Veterinary world, 10(3), 311. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2017). National action plan on antimicrobial resistance (NAP-AMR) 2017–2021. New Delhi, India: Government of India. https://ncdc.mohfw.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/File645.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Hebbal, M. A., Latha, C., Menon, K. V., & Deepa, J. (2020). Occurrence of oxytetracycline residues in milk samples from Palakkad, Kerala, India. Veterinary World, 13(6), 1056. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. ICAR. (2021). State of animal health and production in India 2021. New Delhi: ICAR. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology. (2023). Progress in implementing India’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance: A mid-term review. Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology, 41(3), 378–389. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. INFAAR. (2023). Annual Report 2022-23: Indian Network for Fishery and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance. ICAR-CIFT / FAO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Kakkar, M., Walia, K., Vong, S., Chatterjee, P., & Sharma, A. (2017). Antibiotic resistance and its containment in India. bmj, 358. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Kumar, V., & Gupta, J. (2018). Prevailing practices in the use of antibiotics by dairy farmers in Eastern Haryana region of India. Veterinary World, 11(3), 274. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Laxminarayan, R., & Chaudhury, R. R. (2016). Antibiotic resistance in India: drivers and opportunities for action. PLoS medicine, 13(3), e1001974. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Laxminarayan, R., Matsoso, P., Pant, S., Brower, C., Røttingen, J. A., Klugman, K., & Davies, S. (2016). Access to effective antimicrobials: a worldwide challenge. The Lancet, 387(10014), 168-175. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Mathew, M., Sreejith, S., Sivakumar, K. C., & Radhakrishnan, E. K. (2024). Antibiotic resistance genes on raw egg surface with potential to transmit through supply chain. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, 90(x), 1–8. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Montso, K. P., Dlamini, S. B., Kumar, A., & Ateba, C. N. (2019). Antimicrobial Resistance Factors of Extended‐Spectrum Beta‐Lactamases Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated from Cattle Farms and Raw Beef in North‐West Province, South Africa. BioMed research international, 2019(1), 4318306. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Mutua, F., Sharma, G., Grace, D., Bandyopadhyay, S., Shome, B., & Lindahl, J. (2020). A review of animal health and drug use practices in India, and their possible link to antimicrobial resistance. In Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control (Vol. 9, Issue 1). BioMed Central. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Nuakala, M., & Tripathi, S. (2022). Assessment of antimicrobial use practices among cattle and poultry producers in Telangana, India. Veterinary World, 15(6), 1512–1520. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Pokharel, S., Shrestha, P., & Adhikari, B. (2020). Antimicrobial use in food animals and human health: time to implement ‘One Health’approach. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 9(1), 181. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Popay, J., Roberts, H., Sowden, A., et al. (2006). Guidance on the conduct of narrative synthesis in systematic reviews: A product from the ESRC Methods Programme. Lancaster: Lancaster University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Prabhu, S., Das, R., Kharate, A., Nayak, A. M., & Vyas, N. (2025). Antimicrobial usage assessment and the factors associated among small-scale household dairy farms in a district of southern India. Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research, 12(2), [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Sahoo, S., Behera, M. R., Mishra, B., Sahoo, P., & Kar, S. (2023). Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in bovine milk in India. Journal of advanced veterinary and animal research, 10(1), 21. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Sajish, P., Uzzaman, N., Aramvalarthan, N., & Asaduzzaman, M. (2025). Prevalence, distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles in poultry meat samples from India: A systematic review. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 12, 1672628. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Sharma, C., Rokana, N., Chandra, M., Singh, B. P., Gulhane, R. D., Gill, J. P. S., Ray, P., Puniya, A. K., & Panwar, H. (2018). Antimicrobial resistance: Its surveillance, impact, and alternative management strategies in dairy animals. In Frontiers in Veterinary Science (Vol. 4, Issue JAN). Frontiers Media S.A. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Sharma, G., Mutua, F., Deka, R. P., Shome, R., Bandyopadhyay, S., Shome, B. R., Goyal Kumar, N., Grace, D., Dey, T. K., Venugopal, N., Sahay, S., & Lindahl, J. (2020). A qualitative study on antibiotic use and animal health management in smallholder dairy farms of four regions of India. Infection Ecology and Epidemiology, 10(1). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Singh, A. K., Kumar, A., Singh, R., Chandra, G., Kushwaha, R., Dohare, A., & Yadav, J. P. (2022). A comprehensive review on subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle. CABI Reviews, 2022, 1-18. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Singh, S., Sharma, N., Kumari, A., et al. (2020). ESBL-producing bacteria in retail meat in India: Prevalence and risk factors. Journal of Food Protection, 83(5), 735–745. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Sivaraman, G. K., Rajan, V., Vijayan, A., Elangovan, R., Prendiville, A., & Bachmann, T. T. (2021). Antibiotic resistance profiles and molecular characteristics of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from shrimp aquaculture farms in Kerala, India. Frontiers in Microbiology, 12, 622891. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Taneja, N., & Sharma, M. (2019). Antimicrobial resistance in the environment: The Indian scenario. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 149(2), 119-128. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Van Boeckel, T. P., Brower, C., Gilbert, M., Grenfell, B. T., Levin, S. A., Robinson, T. P., ... & Laxminarayan, R. (2015). Global trends in antimicrobial use in food animals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(18), 5649-5654. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Vijay, D., Bedi, J. S., Dhaka, P., Singh, R., Singh, J., Arora, A. K., & Gill, J. P. S. (2023). Monitoring of antimicrobial usage among adult bovines in dairy herds of Punjab, India: A quantitative analysis of pattern and frequency. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10, 1089307. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Vishweswaraiah, R., Sharma, D., Mehta, M., Jaswal, A., Dua, K., Mallappa, R., ... & Puniya, A. K. (2023). Prevalence of extended spectrum β-lactam, methicillin, and vancomycin resistant zoonotic bacterial pathogens in milk. Food and Humanity, 1, 1503-1510. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Tribal Child Nutrition and Health in District of Sundargarh: A Public Health Review of ICDS Intervention
• Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Towards Prostate Cancer Screening Amongst Men Aged 40-60 Years in The Buea Health District: A Cross-Sectional Study
• Compliance with JCI Protocols: A Focus on Employee Safety
• Influence and Involvement of Teachers in Menstrual Hygiene Management of Female Secondary School Students in Kogi State, Nigeria
• A Critical Evaluation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in Bihar