Delivering a safe and nutritious food source starts with healthy, thriving animals. Now more than ever before, the responsibility for producing healthy and food-safe animals rests on both the producer and processor.

The pork industry has made monumental strides over the years in eliminating food safety issues like Trichinella spiralis, which, while once a common threat, is now nonexistent. However, tackling today’s food safety concerns continues to become more challenging as use of once-common tools, such as antibiotics, becomes increasingly limited.

New on-farm tools.

As the industry reduces the need for antibiotics and medications as primary tools, swine producers must consider new strategies for mitigating risk on their operation—starting with a focus on on-farm pathogen control. Studies show that when on-farm pathogen load is reduced, the ability to meet food safety standards at processing increases. Producers can boost immune health and resiliency while targeting the harmful pathogens that are impacting performance, helping to reduce risk of food safety issues down the line.

The Targeted Microbial Solutions™ in CERTILLUS™ can help swine producers pinpoint the exact pathogenic challenges their pigs face, aiding in the improvement of health and productivity while fostering an immune environment unfavorable to pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella.  

In one study of a commercial swine facility, feeding CERTILLUS to sows reduced E. coli in the farrowing environment and enhanced colonization of beneficial lactic acid bacteria in pigs, leading to improved growth performance and health.¹

By proactively working to reduce pathogen load on-farm with the help of the Targeted Microbial Solutions in CERTILLUS, swine producers can take an active role in ensuring a safe food supply without the use of antibiotics or medications.

Postharvest solutions.

The food safety continuum does not stop there, however, but extends through to the processor, where proper handling, cleaning and controls have critical impacts on food safety. ARM & HAMMER offers a portfolio of postharvest solutions designed to reduce pathogen loads during processing. PorciBrom™ is an antimicrobial made specifically for pork that effectively reduces foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella and E. coli.

One recent trial demonstrated the effectiveness of PorciBrom (DBDMH) as a postharvest intervention, reducing overall Salmonella load throughout processing.² In another study, the product proved as effective as hot water at reducing both E. coli and Salmonella.³ Easily configured with many existing spray cabinets and spray chill systems, and safe for workers and equipment, PorciBrom is a critical tool to help processors protect pork from foodborne pathogens.

In a rapidly changing industry environment, maintaining a safe and healthy food supply is everyone’s responsibility. Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production offers a range of products intended to provide those at all aspects of the food chain with solutions that mitigate food safety risks while positively impacting their bottom lines. Contact us to learn how we can help you keep food safe.

1 CERTILLUS Research Notes: CERTILLUS Fed to Sows Improves Subsequent Growth Performance and Health of their Offspring.

2 Feye KM, Bokengroger C, McReynolds J, Owens CM, Ricke SC. Evaluation of AviBrom for the reduction of foodborne pathogens in a pilot poultry processing plant. University of Arkansas, 2019. Data on file.

3 Kalchayanad N, et al. Effectiveness of 1,3-Dibromo-5,5 Dimethylhydantoin on Reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7– and Salmonella-Inoculated Fresh Meat. Journal of Food Protection. 2009;72:151–156.