Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 7/15/15

As public policy discussions and label claims expand around the use of antibiotics in food animals, Meatingplace asked the National Pork Board’s Vice President of Social Responsibility Jarrod Sutton and Director, Swine Health Information and Research and DVM Lisa Becton to discuss how this issue is currently playing out in the pork sector. 

One aspect of the public debate is the distinction between animals that are “never ever” given antibiotics and “responsible use” of antibiotics used only to treat sick animals but not fed in daily doses to promote growth.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, for example, recently eased its “never ever” policy around antibiotics use by contracting U.K. pork producer Karro Food to supply pork to most of its Florida restaurants. Karro treats sick pigs with antibiotics.  Chipotle has not, however, eased the “never ever” restriction for its U.S. pork suppliers.  

Meatingplace: While the National Pork Board has announced its antibiotics stewardship plan, which supports the responsible use of antibiotics, what about the evolving demand for pork from hogs raised  "never ever" given any antibiotics?

SUTTON: U.S. pig farms take many different shapes and sizes from one side of the country to the other. And while there are many similarities in on-farm production practices, each producer builds a production plan based on the market opportunities provided to him/her. According to Fresh Look retail scanner data from 2009 thru 2014, pork labeled at the meat case as “Raised Without Antibiotics” represented .05 percent of category volume (in pounds) and .07 percent of category sales (in dollars). These numbers have been fairly consistent for several years. Pig farmers work individually with packers and processors and have strict compliance protocols in place to assure that pork raised and marketed “without antibiotics” is precisely that.

Meatingplace: What does a hog producer raising for the “antibiotic-free” market do when a pig gets sick? 

SUTTON: The pigs all start together, and as he and his vet identify pigs in distress they immediately segregate the pig(s) and treat them for the illness. Those pigs are then sold through the conventional market following the proper withdrawal time. That is a common approach for farmers raising pigs without antibiotics – early identification of sick pigs, segregate, treat and sell through the conventional market.

Meatingplace: What types of feeding efficiency issues are there in raising hogs without antibiotics?

BECTON:  There currently are very limited measures for feed efficiency for pigs raised without antimicrobials partly because there is very small segment of production within this category. Feed efficiency is affected by different factors in the growth cycle of a pig. If a pig faces a health challenge and is not treated with an antimicrobial to address is, then there can be a negative impact on growth performance.  A pig facing a health challenge will divert energy to fighting an infection and not towards growth.  Many times, an “antimicrobial-free program” is also combined with an alteration in diet to exclude other nutrients such as meat and bone meal, added animal-based fats essentially restricting a pig to a vegetarian diet. This too can have a negative impact on growth performance due to the reduction of specific nutrients in the diet.

Meatingplace: Are you aware of a trend toward more meat packers seeking more antibiotic-free hogs?

SUTTON: I am not. In fact, in January of this year one of the largest packers told our board of directors that they had just processed their last pig raised without antibiotics.

Meatingplace: Are you aware of any gap yet between supply and demand for these antibiotic-free products? Do you foresee such a gap in the future?

SUTTON: U.S. pork is the safest protein in the world. Pork producers will continue to work with processors and food retailers to meet consumer demands.

Meatingplace: If this trend broadens, are there implications for meat packers, such as more segregation of animals and separate production runs?

SUTTON: Pork processing is a science. If the marketplace demands a specific type of pork product, our processing partners will figure out the best way to deliver.

Meatingplace: Do you see viable, available alternatives for hog producers to antibiotics use for animal health?

BECTON: There is limited research for alternatives to antimicrobials and more will be initiated in the near future. However, alternatives offer very little assistance in treating an ill pig and antimicrobials must be utilized.  Pig farmers strive on a daily basis to raise healthy pigs. But pigs, like humans, can and do get sick.  Pig farmers continuously evaluate and use alternatives in everyday production to include the implementation of nutritional changes such as adding organic acids in the feeds of nursery pigs to alter gut pH; and/or use of a wide variety of vaccines for disease prevention and reduction of clinical symptoms. Vaccines are not always 100-percent effective, and while they help greatly, they cannot always remove a disease but only make it less of a production impact.  In many instances, a viral challenge such as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRS) can impact the pig’s immune system to the point where it can become ill with a second bacterial challenge and it now cannot fight off that infection.  In this instance, the only option to help the pig to recover and survive is to treat it with an antimicrobial.  An alternative product just cannot do that.  Therefore, there will always be a need for treatment of ill pigs.

Meatingplace: Are there any implications for the future spread and curtailment of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in this trend toward antibiotic-free pork?

BECTON: PEDV is unique in that it severely damages the lining of the gut, essentially making it hard for pigs to absorb the food they ingest.  That damage also opens up a pathway for a pig to become sick from other bacterial challenges.  Antimicrobials can assist the pig by reducing the bacteria that can come in after gut damage and support the pig until its’ gut health returns to normal.

Meatingplace: What do you see as the biggest misconceptions about antibiotics use in raising food animals by the media and the consuming public?

SUTTON: Some people think that eating too much meat from animals that were administered antibiotics will result in the Z-pak failing to treat their strep throat. Just because a pig was treated at one point in time in its life does not make it a risk to consume. Antibiotic resistance is an incredibly complex issue. It is incumbent upon anyone interested or concerned to find the facts.

BECTON: There is no proven scientific difference in the quality of pork raised in either form. All pork follows FDA guidelines for withdrawal of treated animals.  USDA follows up with antibiotics screening and pork is consistently not a high-risk area. The lack of residue is a long-term trend since the advent of and focus on the Pork Quality Assurance program (PQA +) and a major reduction in the use of sulfas.

(Editor’s note: For a look at the antibiotics use issue across beef, pork and poultry, watch for the August issue of Meatingplace magazine.)

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