The National Pork Board announced the seven members of its blue ribbon panel on antibiotics, an outcome of the Pork Checkoff’s stewardship plan first defined in June. The new, third-party panel includes experts with specific experience and knowledge in antibiotic practices or consumer marketing, but who are independent of National Pork Board practices.
The panel’s call to action is to objectively review the status of antibiotic use in the pork industry and advise National Pork Board efforts in prioritizing research and producer education programs. Also, this independent panel will identify opportunities for improvement in current antibiotic practices and offer guidance in how to improve antibiotic stewardship in the pork industry.
Building on years of supporting responsible antibiotic use, the National Pork Board has adopted a new Three-point Antibiotic Stewardship Plan that is proactive, collaborative and aggressive in its strategy and scope. Using education, research and communication tactics, the plan will ultimately work for the betterment of people, pigs and the planet. More than ever, U.S. pig farmers remain committed to continuous improvement to ensure responsible on-farm antibiotic use. A major component of this ongoing improvement has been, and will continue to be, a comprehensive research strategy.
For 2016, the National Pork Board will make antibiotic use and resistance a top research priority in its budget. Since 2000, the Pork Checkoff has invested $5.3 million in research on the epidemiology of antibiotic resistance, as well as efforts to define alternatives to antibiotic use. The board will invest close to a million dollars of new money in additional research and producer education projects in 2016
Wednesday October 28, 2015/ NPB/ United States.
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