consumer

SwineCast 0673 Show Notes:

• Senior VP for communications at the Food Marketing Institute, Susan Bora discussed efforts underway at the Food Marketing Institute to better communications from retailer to consumers.  She shares her thoughts on transparency and foreknowledge of issues which might impact perception at the recent Food Systems Summit. 

The Government of Ontario gave an award to Willowgrove Hill Farms for their production of DHA Omega-3 enriched pork raised without antibiotics. This is an example of a swine production farm designing a product to meet consumer desires. Pushing aside the antibiotics debate, there is a market for those operations able to economically create a series of food products without antibiotics and can market to health benefits.

DHA/EPA Omega-3 is a fatty acid that is considered a health benefit to humans, specifically at

"reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke while helping to reduce symptoms of hypertension, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), joint pain and other rheumatoid problems, as well as certain skin ailments." (WebMD.com)

Whole Foods highlights through a 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating system how animals are raised before being purchased by consumers. Global Animal Partnership (GAP), developers of Whole Foods' rating system, seeks to achieve higher welfare for farm animals by building partnerships, working in collaboration with farmers, ranchers, food retail, and animal science experts.

Whole Foods Market harbors the same hopes for its chickens that many parents do for their kids: That they'll get plenty of fresh air, live at home until they reach maturity and avoid gaining weight so fast that they can't walk.

While Whole Foods Market was the driving force behind developing the standards, GAP Executive Director Miyun Park believes they will move well beyond the chain, spurring "massive improvements in the way animals are raised in this country."

The 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating is available for beef cattle, pigs, and broiler chickens.

What Are Swine Vets Saying About Antibiotic Use? Dr. Scott Hurd, Former Deputy Undersecretary Food Safety, USDA and Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine at Iowa State; and Dr. Sarah Probst-Miller, Carthage Vet Service, discuss the prudent use of antibiotics.

Coming up is the Leman Conference September 18-21, 2010 in St Paul, MN. SwineCast will be there to capture presentation highlights and interviews. Special thanks to Pfizer Animal Health for sponsoring SwineCast's in-depth coverage of this event.

Immediately prior to Leman will be the BIVI CircoFLEX Swine Health Seminar where we'll be capturing major FLEX news and developments to share. See you somewhere soon!

Steve Meyer on SwineCast talks about the The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) developing guidelines which could dramatically change the future of livestock production in the United States. Steve's view of current industry economics, along with several other front page presentations, are available from the Boehringer Ingelheim Carolina Health Conference page.