The United Nation’s Codex Commission, the international food safety standards setting body, met in London last week to look at antimicrobial resistance. National Pork Producer Council’s Chief Veterinarian Liz Wagstrom represented the U.S. at the meeting. She says the group is updating rules for dealing with resistance issues in livestock and humans.
She says America’s pork producers are doing a good job handling and using antibiotics in their herds and so the U.S. is ahead of the game in meeting international standards.
Wagstrom says NPPC’s main goal is to make sure any new Codex rules or standards developed concerning antimicrobial resistance are science based.
Wagstrom says the U.S. pork industry is supporting studies and research on the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance. They are also working on developing alternative products or practices to help minimize the need for antibiotics in pork production.
