Dutch authorities seized 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds) of virginiamycin, an antibiotic that has been banned for use in animal feed by the European Union and was likely meant to be added as a growth promoter, according to the Netherlands’ food safety authority.
The cargo was found during a search of a transhipment company in the southern Netherlands. “It can’t be ruled out that previously illegal antibiotics were imported and processed via this route,” said the food safety authority. ”The legal inquiry will have to determine this.” The EU banned virginiamycin’s use because it can result in antibiotics resistance of bacteria. It is allowed in some countries outside the EU, so shipment through the bloc is possible if authorities are notified.