The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is concerned about the precedent that European Union (EU) Regulation 2019/6 could have on the global trade of meat and meat products. Last week, NPPC submitted comments in response to Regulation 2019/6 of the European Parliament and the Council on veterinary medicinal products and repealing Directive 2001/82/EC.
Although the U.S. pork sector does not have significant trade with EU countries, NPPC is concerned that other countries could impose precautionary, non-science-based requirements on U.S. pork products based on this precedent.
“It is essential that the U.S. Department of Agriculture advocates to the European Parliament and the Council to consider international standards set by the CODEX Alimentarius Commission,” NPPC wrote.
The USDA’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) addresses public health concerns from the use of antimicrobials to promote growth. FDA considers the classes of antimicrobials that could potentially select for resistance to antimicrobials used in human medicine and restricts their uses to only therapeutic purposes, NPPC explained.
“This process is sufficient to assure our trading partners that U.S. regulation provides for the safety of meat and meat products produced in the United States,” NPPC said.
NPPC urges USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service to highlight the certainty of the robust FDA process in its argument on the unnecessary restrictions posted by Regulation 2019/6, including the development of a list of antimicrobial agents that will be restricted for human use only.
“An overly restrictive list has the potential to negatively impact animal health, welfare and even food safety, since we know that carcasses of animals that have been sick have a higher likelihood to be contaminated with foodborne pathogens,” said Liz Wagstrom, NPPC’s chief veterinarian.
Additionally, while the U.S. has a list of antimicrobials restricted from use in food animals, the country follows Maximum Residue Levels on its imported food products. NPPC urges the EU to adhere to that same principle.
For NPPC’s entire comments, click here.
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