Smithfield Foods announces it has adopted a new policy that limits the use of antibiotics for growth promotion in pork production that belong to the same class of compounds approved for human use.
The policy was developed by its supplier, foodservice provider Compass Group, North America. It also requires suppliers to report and reduce antibiotic use over time.
Denmark banned the routine use of antibiotics in pork production, cutting overall use of antibiotics in half. However, therapeutic use of antibiotics has climbed 30-40% because the animals in Denmark are sicker and require larger treatment doses, according to the Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research.