The United States National Pork Board has announced the
seven members of its blue-ribbon panel on antibiotics.
The new and independent panel includes experts with specific
experience and knowledge in antibiotic practices or consumer marketing.
The panel’s is to review the status of antibiotic use in the
pork industry and advise National Pork Board about research and producer
education.
It is being asked to offer guidance on how to improve
antibiotic stewardship in the pork industry. The panel members are:
Mike
Apley, food animal production medicine, Kansas State University;
Bonnie
Buntain, coordinator of the veterinary medical and surgical program, University
of Arizona;
Mike
Chaddock, associate dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State
University;
Chris
Cochran, senior manager, food sustainability, Walmart;
Jim
McCollum, protein purchasing manager, Independent Purchasing Cooperative, Inc.;
Justin
Ransom, senior director, quality systems U.S., McDonald’s restaurant chain, and
Steve
Solomon, public health consultant and former director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention’s office of antimicrobial resistance.
“The science is complicated, but we do know how to
improve the use of antibiotics in both human and animal medicine,” Solomon,said
in a news release.
“We need to better translate complex information about
antibiotic use for the benefit of the food consumer and the medical community.”
The National Pork Board has set out a three-point plan and
five research priorities:
Research – Investing $750,000 in provide
data for animal and public health outcomes (pig health/welfare, human
health/safety, environmental impact and pork quality).
Education – Updating the Pork Quality
Assurance Plus farmer certification program in 2016 and investing up to
$400,000 in education and awareness programs to ensure pig farmers understand
and adopt new Food and Drug Administration rules for the use of medically important
antibiotics (to treat human illness) in feed and water.
Communications – Gathering industry leaders
for meetings on responsible antibiotic use and sharing the American pork
industry’s story of continuous improvement with producers and consumer media
through outreach, byline articles and advertisements.
