Pork Quality Assurance Plus Sherrie Niekamp Director, Animal Welfare National Pork Board
History and Evolution 1989 Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) 2003 Swine Welfare Assurance Program (SWAP) 2005 - Coalition Discovery Team 2007 PQA Plus released 2010 PQA Plus v.1.2
Program Objectives Facilitate on-farm continuous improvement in pork production and handling practices Demonstrate our continuous improvement commitment to consumers Provide a workable/affordable/credible tool to assist the pork chain in managing emerging social responsibility issues.
Delivery Infrastructure PQA Plus Trainers = 64 Responsibilities of a Trainer Conduct Advisor training sessions Function in the PQA Plus Advisor role. PQA Plus Advisors = 1,124 Requirements Be a veterinarian, Extension Specialist or Ag Educator and Have a D.V.M. or B.S. or equivalent experience in Animal Science or associated field Have two years of recent, documentable swine production experience. Responsibilities of an Advisor Conducting training sessions for producers Conducting on-farm site assessments and reporting results Being available for producer consultation during and following a site assessment.
PQA Plus Producer Certification Site Status Third Party Verification
PQA Plus Producer Education 55000 50000 Certifications Two main elements Food Safety Animal Well Being 45000 40000 35000 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0 Producer Certification 52,011 PQA Plus individuals
Certification Content GPP #1 Establish and implement an efficient and effective herd health management plan GPP#2 Use a veterinarian/client/patient relationship (VCPR) as the basis for medication decision-making GPP#3 Use antibiotics responsibly GPP#4 Identify and track and maintain medication and treatment records for all treated animals GPP #5 Adhere to medication withdrawal times GPP#6 Properly store, label and account for all drug products and medicated feeds
Certification Content continued GPP#7 Use proper administration techniques, needle-use procedures, observance of withdrawal times, and methods to avoid marketing adulterated products for human food GPP#8 Follow appropriate on-farm feed processing and commercial feed processor procedures GPP#9 Develop, implement, and document an animal caretaker training program GPP#10 Provide proper swine care to improve swine well-being
Site Assessment Sites 16000 14000 Well-Being Assessment Animal observation Facilities Recordkeeping 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 Site Status = 14,562 Represents approximately 78% of the U.S.A. swine inventory
On-Farm Assessment Site Status Recordkeeping VCPR Medication and treatment records Training programs Written emergency action plan Daily observations Written euthanasia plan Facilities Facility state of repair Air quality Operational emergency backup Animals Body condition scoring Timely euthanasia Body space Thermal comfort Willful acts of abuse
Program Design Producer Education (Certification) On-farm Site Assessment (Site Status) 3 rd Party Verification
Third-Party Verification: Objectives Measure the effectiveness of the PQA Plus program, not to find farms that are not in compliance Provide credibility to packers and customers Provide an alternative to every farm audited every year Statistically valid random sample Enable Pork Checkoff to pay for third-party verification element Create one set of industry-developed criteria to avoid confusion and extra cost Use aggregate assessment data and verification data to identify areas for additional education and training in pork production
How will verification process work? All sites with Site Status will be in a pool from which sites will be selected Producer will be given official notice and information on how to schedule an appointment with PAACO-certified third-party verifier Verifier submit report to third-party database, and send producer information Producers work with their advisors to address any issues identified during the verification process Database reports verification data in aggregate form to the National Pork Board National Pork Board uses aggregate verification data to identify areas for additional education and training to promote continuous improvement of the pork industry
Summary Cornerstone of We Care initiative Demonstrates long-term commitment to responsible pork production Food safety Animal care Continuous improvement Positions industry as positive and proactive
Questions? sniekamp@pork.org 515-223-3533