A comprehensive guide to the responsible use of antibiotics in the pig industry

The use of antibiotics in livestock is regulated and monitored by law to ensure that the products reaching consumers are safe and free from residues. In fact, the National Plan to Combat Antibiotic Resistance , which continues to tackle the issue of antibiotic resistance through six strategic areas: surveillance, control, prevention, research, training and communication. These strategic areas have also been implemented in pig production from the outset. For example, the Agreement on the Voluntary Reduction of Colistin Use in the Spanish Pig Farming Sector (2015–2018) achieved a 97.18 per cent reduction in colistin use in pigs, and work is currently work is underway on Voluntary Reduction programmes for other antibiotics, thereby enabling the achievement of the objectives of the ‘farm-to-fork’ strategy which, amongst other recommendations, promotes a 50 per cent reduction in the use of antimicrobials in animal production.