28 Jan 2026

New Anthoney’s Farms, University of Peradeniya collaborate for chicken meat raised without antibiotics

The agreement recognizes the public health, environmental, and trade concerns associated with antibiotic use in food-producing animals.

aviNews Asia

SAVE IN THE LIBRARY PDF FILE

Sri Lanka’s poultry integrator New Anthoney’s Farms on January 20 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Peradeniya to establish a collaborative framework for third-party verification of chicken meat raised without antibiotics in Sri Lanka.

The MoU was signed on behalf of the University of Peradeniya by Prof Terrance Madhujith, Vice Chancellor and KAB Damunupola, Acting Registrar, and on behalf of New Anthoney’s Farms by KA Emil Stanley, Managing Director.

The signing ceremony was attended by Neil Suraweera, Chief Executive Officer, and Dr Lahiru Sandaruwan from New Anthoney’s Farms, while Dr Madura Munasinghe and Prof Ruchika Fernando represented the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Laboratory (FSQAL UPDN) of the university’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science.

The MoU will remain in effect for a period of five years.

Independent third-party verification

The collaboration will be implemented through the FSQAL UPDN of the university’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, which is the only ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory within the Sri Lankan university system.

Under the MoU, FSQAL-UPDN will conduct testing of chicken meat samples produced by New Anthoney’s Farms, in accordance with an agreed and established protocol, to verify the absence of antibiotic residues at different stages of broiler production.

Continue after advertising.

This will provide independent third-party verification of New Anthoney’s Farms’ claims and established procedures for raising broiler birds without the use of antibiotics, representing a major milestone in the Sri Lankan poultry industry.

Public health, environmental and trade concerns

The development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) resulting from the extensive use of antibiotics for disease prevention and treatment in food-producing animals is a major global public health concern.

Widely cited global estimates indicate that if no urgent action is taken, AMR could account for up to 10 million deaths annually and result in economic losses of up to USD 100 trillion by 2050, underscoring the importance of responsible antibiotic use and robust verification mechanisms in food animal production systems.

The agreement recognizes the public health, environmental, and trade concerns associated with antibiotic use in food-producing animals and aims to strengthen consumer confidence through evidence-based laboratory verification.

PDF FILE