The National Pork Board and Atlantic LIVE have joined together to bring together experts for a discussion on the challenge of responsible antibiotic use in the 21st century. Leading stakeholders from the National Pork Board, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and representatives from across the food chain shared what is being done to address concerns of antibiotic resistance.

“Antibiotics are a critical tool to treat and prevent disease in both humans and animals,” said John Johnson, chief operating officer of the National Pork Board. “The U.S. pork industry is committed to ensuring responsible use of these medicines in animals to protect their efficacy for both humans and animals. Through a science-based approach, we must all work together to better understand and address the potential impact of antibiotic resistance.”

Responsible use of antibiotics is necessary on farms both to keep animals healthy and the food supply safe. For that reason, the pork industry supports pig farmers by working closely with their veterinarians to protect their pigs’ health and reduce the need to use antibiotics, funding research on antibiotics resistance to protect the long-term effectiveness of antibiotics in both humans and animals, and working closely with human and animal health experts to define and guide responsible antibiotic use.

“Without the timely use of antibiotics, sickness can spread rapidly, both endangering the health of animals and the safety of our food,” said South Dakota pig farmer Brad Greenway. “Through the pork industry’s stewardship and new FDA rules, real change is underway on the farm. America’s pig farmers embrace these new rules and want to share our commitment to responsibly treating and preventing disease in livestock.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the use of antibiotic products in pigs and other livestock. New regulations by the FDA, Guidance 209 and 213, will be fully enacted in January 2017 and will eliminate the use of medically important antibiotics on the farm for growth promotion. Many farmers have already taken this step. These new FDA regulations also strengthen the rules requiring licensed veterinarians to oversee the use of antibiotics on the farm for prevention, control and treatment of disease. The pork industry has been working the past 18 months to help farmers prepare for these new FDA guidelines.