Pharmaceuticals used by farming industry
Pharmaceuticals are used by the farming industry to control disease, the below list compares aquaculture pharmaceuticals approved by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to those approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). The World Health Organization Critically Important Antimicrobials (WHO CIA) list notes two pharmaceuticals approved by MAFF but not approved by the WHO.
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) will not allow the importation of fish that have been treated with drugs not approved by the FDA. There are just 9 pharmaceuticals that are FDA approved compared to 26 approved by the MAFF.
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization Critically Important Antimicrobials (WHO CIA). Use of CIA drugs can create antimicrobial resistant bacteria that can spread to humans through the food supply, limiting usage is an important step towards preserving the benefits of antimicrobials for people.
| Ingredient | MAFF Status | FDA Status | WHO Status |
| Alkyl trimethyl ammonium | OK | – | – |
| Alkyl trimethyl ammonium calcium oxytetracycline | OK | – | – |
| Amoxicillin | OK | – | – |
| Ampicillin | OK | – | X |
| Bicoamycin benzoate | OK | – | – |
| Chloramine-T | – | OK | – |
| Chorionic gonadotropin | – | OK | – |
| Doxycycline hydrochloride | OK | – | – |
| Erythromycin | OK | – | X |
| Florfenicol | OK | OK | – |
| Formalin | – | OK | – |
| Fosfomycin calcium | OK | – | – |
| Glutathione | OK | – | – |
| Hydrogen peroxide | OK | OK | – |
| Josamycin | OK | – | – |
| Lincomycin hydrochloride | OK | – | – |
| Lucium oxytetracycline | OK | – | – |
| Lysozyme chloride | OK | – | – |
| Oxolinic acid | OK | – | – |
| Oxolinic acid (suspension-forming) | OK | – | – |
| Oxytetracycline dihydrate | – | OK | – |
| Oxytetracycline hydrochloride | OK | OK | – |
| Praziquante | OK | – | – |
| Spiramycin embonate | OK | – | – |
| Sulfadimethoxine/ormetoprim | – | OK | – |
| Sulfamerazine | – | OK | – |
| Sulfamonomethoxine or its sodium salt | OK | – | – |
| Sulfisozole sodium | OK | – | – |
| Thianphenicol | OK | – | – |
| Tricaine methanesulfonate | OK | – | – |
Source: Japan MAFF 28th Report on the Use of Marine Pharmaceuticals, 2015/01, US FDA Approved Aquaculture Drugs, 2020/04, WHO Critically Important Antimicrobials for Human Medicine, 6th revision, 2018