CPC Reacts Positively to Federal Report on Antimicrobial Use in Livestock Production
Farmscape for September 11, 2002 (Episode 1066) The Canadian Pork Council says, at first glance, a new federal report on the use of antimicrobial drugs in livestock production looks good. The report of the Advisory Committee on Animal Uses of Antimicrobials and their Impact on Resistance and Human Health was posted to the Health Canada web site last week. The report, which contains 38 recommendations for addressing antimicrobial use in livestock, strives to address concerns related the development of organisms that are resistant to antibiotics. Canadian Pork Council President Edouard Asnong says swine producers are already complying with many of the report's recommendations. Clip-Edouard Asnong-Canadian Pork Council I think, having seen it for a first reading, it's pretty positive. It's going in a direction the industry is already working, having introduced on farms our quality assurance program. Producers have to take note to list what kind of drugs are used and also the withdrawal periods. Producers are very proactive. Our top priority is consumers security with the food that we put on their table. Asnong says, while some of the report's recommendations might require some slight modifications to the existing Canadian Quality Assurance program, he's confident it will not be difficult to accommodate those recommendations. He says the report also will give Pork Council more ammunition in its efforts to convince Health Canada to speed up the process for evaluating and approving new veterinary drugs. He says Pork Council will conduct a thorough review of the report and seek clarification of some aspects before offering an official response and presenting its own recommendations. For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane. *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council