Pork Checkoff
National Pork Board
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Food Safety
Animal Well-Being
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Certification for Individuals
Site Status for Sites(farms)
Third-Party Verification Process
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Produce safe food
Protect and promote animal well-being
Ensure practices to protect public health
Safeguard natural resources
Provide a work environment that is safe
Contribute to a better quality of life in our
communities
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Objective: Establish and implement an
efficient and effective herd health
management
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Regular herd evaluations by a veterinarian
Biosecurity
Rodent & Pest control
Cleaning & Disinfecting Procedures
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Objective: Use an appropriate
veterinarian/client/patient relationship (VCPR)
as the basis for medication decision-making.
 Veterinary/Client/Patient Relationship –
 Veterinarian has assumed responsibility for making
medical judgments
 Owner or other caretaker agrees to follow the
instructions of the veterinarian
 VCPR only exists when a veterinarian has recently seen
and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care
of the animal(s)
 Approved animal drug categories:
 Over-the-Counter (OTC)
 Prescription (Rx)
 Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD)
 Only when a VCPR exists - FDA approved drugs can
legally be used in food-producing animals in a way
other than directed on the label
 Extra label use is prohibited in medicated feeds
 According to FDA, VFD records must be kept for 2
years
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Objective: Use Antibiotics Responsibly
 Pork producers use antibiotics for three purposes:
 Treatment
 Prevention
 Nutritional Efficiency
◦ Principles and guidelines for responsible antibiotic use:
Take appropriate steps to decrease need
Assess the advantages and disadvantages of all uses
Use only when they provide measurable benefits
Use professional veterinary input
Used for treatment only when there is an appropriate clinical
diagnosis
 Treat the fewest animals indicated
 Use only after careful review and reasonable justification
 Minimize environmental exposure
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Objective: Identify, track, and maintain medication
and treatment records for all treated animals
 Records on treated animals should be maintained for these
purposes:
 Food safety
 Regulatory
 Management
 There are various tools and methods of identifying treated pigs
and groups of pigs.
 The FDA has developed minimum requirements expected of
producers while maintaining medication and treatment records.
◦ Written record should be kept on file for one year after the hogs have
been marketed.
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Objective: Adhere to medication withdrawal
times.
 Withdrawal time - period required for the
medication to be metabolized, broken-down, or
excreted so that the level remaining in the body of
the animal is below the level established as safe for
humans
 Other countries may require withdrawal times
different than the United States for some products
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Objective: Properly store, label, and account for
all drug products and medicated feeds.
 Drug labels contain the following information:
 Trade name
 Active ingredient
 Indications
 Dosage and directions for use
 Precautions
 Cautions
 Warnings –withdrawal times
 Manufacturer’s lot number
 Expiration date
◦ Always read and follow storage instructions on the label,
tag, or insert.
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Objective: Use proper administration techniques,
needle-use procedures, observance of withdrawal times
and methods to avoid marketing adulterated products
for human food.
 Medications are commonly administered to pigs in three ways:
 Orally
 Topically
 Injectable
 In the muscle (Intramuscular - IM)
 Under the skin (Subcutaneous – SQ)
 In the nasal passages (Intranasal – IN)
 In the abdominal cavity (Intraperitoneal – IP)
 In the vein (Intravenous – IV)
 Never straighten a bent needle
 Dispose of sharps correctly
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Objective: Follow appropriate on-farm feed
and commercial feed processor procedures.
 To prevent feed contamination current Good
Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) outline standards
for:
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Manufacturing facilities
Ingredients
Manufacturing processes
Monitoring
Labeling
Recordkeeping
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Objective: Develop, implement and document
an animal caretaker training program.
 All animal caretakers must be properly trained
 The PTSDR method may be used to train others and
consists of five steps:
1) Prepare
2) Tell
3) Show
4) Do
5) Review
 Training must be documented
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Objective: Provide proper swine care to
improve swine well-being
Recordkeeping includes keeping records of a
Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship
(VCPR), medication and treatment of animals,
and of a caretaker training program
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Willful acts of neglect or abuse are
unacceptable
 It is also very important to have:
 A written emergency action plan and an
emergency backup system
 Daily observation of animals and facilities
 Appropriate animal evaluation
 Evaluation of body condition scores (BCS)
 Adequate pig space
 A written plan for euthanasia, and euthanasia
performed in a timely manner
 Proper facility maintenance and management
 Correct use of animal handling tools and handling
practices
 Adequate ventilation