March 14, 2007

 

US pork producers promise 'Plus' 
 

 

Pork producers in the US recently voted to make their "responsibility" their "promise" to care for their animals at the highest levels of health and welfare, combining food safety and swine welfare practices into one program.

 

Producer-delegates to the National Pork Act and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), in separate actions at the National Pork Forum in Anaheim, California held on March 1-3, adopted "PQA Plus" (Pork Quality Assurance Plus) and encouraged all producers to enrol in the program when it's opened during the World Pork Expo in June.

 

PQA Plus combines PQA, which was created in 1988 and involves science-based guidelines for drug use in swine production for pork safety, and Swine Welfare Assurance Program (SWAP), which was created in 2003 and involves science-based guidelines for swine husbandry and welfare. 

 

Hugh Dorminy, a former president of the National Pork Promotion & Research Board who led the formation of PQA Plus, said the program is a reflection of producers' strong support of animal welfare.

 

Dorminy cited several surveys that have said consumers believe it is okay to raise animals for food and distinguish between farm and food animals and household pets. However, he noted that the surveys also have revealed consumers are concerned farmers are "failing" in their animal welfare and want assurance that animals are being well treated, including laws and regulations if necessary.

 

The combination of PQA and SWAP will create a program that would educate and certify producers in both herd health and herd welfare practices and would have third-party oversight to provide assurance that those practices have been learned and put into place, Dorminy said.

 

He said both components of the health and welfare program were revised and field tested at 93 production sites of all kinds and sizes to make sure the program met the workable and affordable requirements.

 

He said it then was reviewed and supported by a technical advisory committee consisting of animal behaviour and science specialists Temple Grandin at Colorado State University, Ed Pajor at Perdue University and Janet Swanson at Kansas State University and Kansan veterinarian Lisa Tokash to make sure the program would be credible.

 

PQA Plus will educate all participating producers and their employees in animal health and welfare and then will assess all sites, providing three-year certification status when operations and producers are in compliance, Dorminy said. Assessors will be extension specialists, veterinarians and other parties, including large producers who have personnel on their staffs who can be trained to do self-assessments, he said.

 

Additionally, a "substantial" number of sites will be audited by independent, third-party sources, he said, explaining that the audits will be done not to check up on an individual producer but to evaluate the extent to which the program is succeeding.

 

The "PQA Plus" program in the pork sector combines science-based guidelines for using animal health products for not only the animal's health but for pork safety and wholesomeness and science-based guidelines for the care and welfare of their animals.

 

PQA Plus requires a producer to study a 128-page manual and make sure employees also understand their animal health and welfare responsibilities. PQA Plus requires a producer to undergo an independent assessment to determine if he or she has the guidelines and practices in the program in place and working.