The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) says it’s time for the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) program to promote the progress that has been made in the pork industry from veterinary and producer interventions that have reduced the incidents of antimicrobial resistance.
The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) recently submitted comments on the proposed 2026-2030 Strategic Plan for the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System.
NARMS, a collaborative partnership with state and local public health departments, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and USDA, tracks antimicrobial susceptibility among foodborne enteric bacteria from humans, retail meats and food animals.
“The long-standing objectives of NARMS are appropriate and supportable and recommended the program return to its original scope and remain focused on foodborne antimicrobial resistance,” NPPC said in Capital Update.
NARMS objectives include:
- Monitoring trends in antimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria from humans, retail meats, and food animals at the time of slaughter.
- Disseminating timely information on antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic and commensal microorganisms to stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad to promote interventions that reduce resistance among foodborne bacteria.
- Conducting research to better understand the emergence, persistence, and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
- Providing timely antimicrobial resistance data for outbreak investigations.
- Providing data that help FDA in making decisions related to the approval of safe and effective antimicrobial drugs for animals.
“NPPC strongly supports antimicrobial stewardship and the production of safe, wholesome protein for consumers,” NPPC points out.
Under the previous strategic plan, NARMS sought to expand its One Health approach that recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and the shared environment.
NPPC notes that this approach had the program taking a haphazard approach to collecting and testing disparate samples under various pilot projects, diluting its focus on food safety.
Instead of this approach, NPPC said it encourages the NARMS program to return to its original scope of focusing on food safety.
Your next read: It’s Time For Transparency and Scientific Integrity in the Dietary Guidelines, Marshall Says
