HYDERABAD: Telangana stands third in the country in the production of eggs but badminton players of Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA) will get eggs from Japan for their daily consumption!
Reason: Eggs from Telangana hatcheries are not good enough for badminton players of Gopichand academy in Hyderabad. An MoU was exchanged on Monday between PGBA and Ise Foods, Japan, as part of which players of the academy will receive “premium eggs” from the Japanese company till 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo. The annual egg production in Telangana in 2016-17 was 1,181 crore, which ranks third in country in egg production, according to Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry statistics.
The Ise Foods would supply its premium eggs to PGBA to support the academy’s players in enhancing their dietary inputs, specially in preparation for Tokyo Olympics, 2020. As per information from the company’s website, Ise Foods produces eggs with nutritional supplements like eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, coenzyme Q 10 and arachidonic acid. As per online reports, it also produces eggs with Astaxanthin, known for its antioxidant properties.
It may be mentioned here, that last year the Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy, Washington, flagged the problem of antibiotics abuse in poultry farms of India. In 2016, a study by researchers from the University of Hyderabad, reported presence of multiple-drug resistance in Helicobacter pullorum isolated from samples of broiler chickens as well as free ranging chickens from the city, against four major classes of antibiotics - fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, sulfonamides and macrolides . H.pullorum is a zoonotic bacteria which can be transmitted from animals to humans and cause infections.
Speaking to Express, chairman of Ise Foods Hikonobu Ise said that his company does not use antibiotics in chickens and even if situation arises, they would cull the chicken rather than giving it antibiotics.