Pig industry responds to antibiotics use criticism

The UK pig industry has hit back at criticism over its use of antibiotics, following an investigation by animal rights groups which linked major food retailers to pork contaminated with drug-resistant salmonella.

Animal Justice Project and AGtivist said government data published by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland showed more than 200 salmonella-positive samples from pork products and carcasses processed by Karro Foods, Cranswick, and Finnebrogue, with over 120 resistant to multiple antibiotics.

The groups claimed contaminated meat was found in supply chains of Asda, Aldi, M&S and Booker (part of the Tesco group).

See also: 6 ways to manage antibiotics usage in pigs

They released undercover footage from Northern Ireland pig farms, alleging filthy, overcrowded sheds, neglect, and use of controversial antibiotics, including some critical for human medicine.

Commenting on the footage, Dr Alice Brough, an ex-industry pig veterinarian, said the routine misuse of antibiotics “is fuelling antimicrobial resistance and threatening human and environmental health”.

However, the Food Industry Initiative on Antibiotics (FIA), which represents Asda, Aldi, Cranswick, Sofina – owners of Karro and Finnebrogue – and Tesco, defended the pig industry’s record on antibiotics use.

‘Very small dataset’ – FIA

A spokesman for the FIA said: “This is a very small dataset showing only the positive results from tens of thousands of tests taking place on products and animals every year, and on its own, is very hard to interpret.

“What we can see is around half the samples show some resistance to one or more antibiotics, which is entirely in-keeping with what we’re seeing across animal and human medicine as our antibiotics come under increasing threat from the complex challenge of resistance.”

The spokesman also pointed to a “60% reduction in use” of antibiotics across UK farming over the past decade, noting that the pig sector’s use is now among “the lowest levels globally”.

NPA response

Lizzie Wilson, chief executive of the National Pig Association, told Farmers Weekly that the UK pig sector’s achievements in reducing usage of antibiotics, particularly those of importance to human medicine, has been widely praised and is seen as a success story. 

“It has pioneered a number of initiatives to demonstrate its commitment to and facilitate the proactive reduction in antibiotic use,” she said.

“As such use of antibiotics has decreased by 69% reduction over a nine-year period – from 278mg/kg for every population-corrected unit [PCU] in 2015 to 85mg/kg PCU in 2023 – despite numerous disease challenges on farms.

“Furthermore, the use of Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics is negligible and continues to decline.”

The Food Standards Agency said the risk to public health is “considered low when proper food handling and cooking practices are followed”.

Daera stated  it “takes all reports and concerns… extremely seriously” and investigates all allegations.