NEWS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2026 101 The University of Peradeniya entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New Anthoney’s Farms (Pvt) Ltd., a next-generation poultry company, to establish a collaborative framework for third-party verification of chicken meat raised without antibiotics in Sri Lanka. The collaboration will be implemented through the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Laboratory (FSQAL UPDN) of the 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 the company, in accordance with an agreed and established protocol, to verify the absence of antibiotic residues at different stages of broiler production. This will provide independent third-party verification of the company’s claims and established procedures for raising broiler birds without the use of antibiotics, representing a major milestone in the Sri Lankan poultry industry. 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, antimicrobial resistance could account for up to 10 million deaths annually and result in economic losses of up to US$ 100 trillion by 2050, underscoring the importance of responsible antibiotic use and robust verification mechanisms in food animal production systems. Read more>> JBS, a leading global food company, announced the creation of a new multiprotein production platform in Oman, covering beef, poultry and lamb, to serve as an export hub. With a total investment of US$150 million, JBS acquired an 80% stake in a newly established food holding company that consolidates two production assets in the country. Oman Food Capital (OFC) will retain the remaining 20% stake. The initiative reinforces JBS’s strategy of diversification by geography and protein and proximity to key consumer markets. Designed to serve the global halal market—currently encompassing an estimated 2 billion consumers worldwide—the joint venture will contribute to strengthening food security in Oman, in line with the Sultanate’s Vision 2040, while positioning the country as a strategic platform for the production of halal food products for export to multiple markets. The investment will be directed primarily toward completing A’Namaa’s integrated poultry plant, located in the Ibri region in northern Oman, approximately 380 kilometers west of Muscat (the nation’s capital) and 280 kilometers south of Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Al Bashayer’s beef and lamb processing facility in Thumrait, in southern Oman. Read more>> Third-party verification program set for antibiotic-free chicken in Sri Lanka JBS and Oman Food Capital partner to build global multiprotein export hub
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==