Vaccines can help address consumer concerns


Today consumer choice is king. Traditional, free range, farrow stall-free, nitrate-free? Sustainable, ethical, affordable, tasty? Quite aside from their day-to-day tasks such as taking good care of their animals; applying farm management practices; and implementing biosecurity measures, farmers are required to take account of these endless consumer choices while determining how to manage their production systems.


BY ELANCO U 20


nderstandably, farmers have always weighed up the operational pros and cons of changing the products or practices they use, to ensure their farms remain strong, well-managed and


sustainable enterprises. Increasingly, farmers need to ensure they address a range of other issues that are close to the hearts and minds of consumers. They also need to be able to explain their production system choices in relation to these consumer concerns. To help swine producers achieve a balance between animal welfare and consumer concerns, vaccines have become more and more available as a means of satisfying both demands.


▶ WEANING | JUNE 2020


Pathogenic E.coli produce destructive toxins that cause serious disease, especially in post- weaned pigs.


Meeting consumer demands While it can be confusing and costly to consider every new idea, practice innovation or product offering, there are four key questions that can help to reduce the complexity. For farmers seeking to meet the needs and desires of their food chain customers and end-consumers while ensuring they maintain healthy animals and a profitable business – these questions should provide good guidance. In many instances, adjusting practices or product choices will simultaneously address more than one of the key issues highlighted below:


1. Food safety - Does the product or practice enhance food safety for end consumers? If a product or practice change reduces the risk of foodborne pathogens (like Salmonella or Campylobacter) by even a small percentage, that’s a positive


PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40