Meat Consumers' Opinion Regarding Unhealthy Pigs: Should They Be Treated with Antibiotics or Euthanized on Farm?

Consumers' perspectives on antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in food animals: a systematic review

Inappropriate antibiotic use in food animals is considered a significant contributor to increasing antibiotic resistance. Consumers can play a critical role in reducing it through purchasing choices, demand, and policy advocacy. This systematic review aimed to synthesize all published literature investigating consumers' perspectives (i.e., knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes) on antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in food animals. We conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar on November 14, 2022, and an updated search on April 30, 2024. We limited findings to original peer-reviewed journal articles published up to 2023 (inclusive), were written in English, and focused on knowledge/perceptions/attitudes of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in food animals. Of the 3815 articles identified, 39 were included. The findings suggested that consumers were concerned about antibiotic use in food animals, thus they were willing to pay more for food products with antibiotic-free or reduced-antibiotic use. However, consumers lacked deep understanding of antibiotic use practice and antibiotic stewardship in food animals as well as transmission risks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and livestock industries to implement policy and practice changes to ensure responsible antibiotic use in food animals.

Influences on the Decision to Euthanize a Compromised Pig

The decision to euthanize a compromised pig can be challenging for pig farmers and veterinarians. To understand more about the challenges in Germany, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted. Based on a hybrid design, the responses of 39 veterinarians and 62 pig farmers were analyzed to generate a list of common clinical signs associated with the euthanasia of sows, fatteners, and piglets. Moreover, a set of influences on the farm, due to economic and personal considerations, were found to shape the decision-making process. The two most salient reasons outlined for the delay of timely euthanasia were uncertainty and misinterpretation of the chance for healing. The lack of valid clinical signs or a sound justification was most frequently mentioned as a challenge to the general decision-making process. In summation, this study highlights the need to generate a valid taxonomy for clinical signs that includes their development in a compromised pig over time. Future studies should elaborate on the justification of euthanasia decisions to facilitate the resolution of ethical dilemmas among the involved pig farmers and veterinarians. Lastly, the results suggest that clinical reasoning and consultation skills should be included when decision-making behavior is to be trained.

Landscape review about the decision to euthanize a compromised pig

Timely euthanasia of a compromised pig in farming practice has been identified as a critical topic in veterinary medicine. The questions 'why and when are pigs euthanized' and 'what influences the decision making process' need to be answered to improve the situation. In the past five years, work addressing these issues has been published in the literature, however, a synthesis of the findings is missing. With the help of a quantitative and qualitative analysis, this paper has generated a landscape review to outline major topics, the role of clinical signs and further influences on the decision to euthanize a pig. Due to the quantitative content analysis, 58 topics have been identified with the role of welfare as a justification and training for caretakers in making euthanasia decisions as the most frequently mentioned. The qualitative analysis of why and when a pig is euthanized generated a set of clinical signs for organ tracts, and a set of categories influencing the decision making process. The results outline the need to increase research on details specific to understanding how clinical signs evolve over time before euthanasia. In summary, the analysis provides an overview of work in the field and ideas on how to close knowledge gaps in the future. Moreover, the article contributes to harmonize efforts in the field and underlines the need for more research about the care of compromised and injured pigs.

Exploring Consumer Behavior and Preferences in Welfare-Friendly Pork Breeding: A Multivariate Analysis

This study investigates consumer behavior and interest in "welfare-friendly" forms of pork production, considering the growing presence of animal welfare-focused breeding practices. The aim is to outline the typical profile of pork consumers and identify the key attributes influencing their purchasing decisions. A survey was conducted on a sample of 286 individuals after excluding those who only consumed beef and/or poultry or identified as vegetarians/vegans. Regression coefficients (b), 95% Confidence Intervals (95% C.I.), and p-values were reported for univariate and multivariate models. Statistical significance was determined at p < 0.05 (indicated in bold). The findings indicate that younger participants show greater sensitivity towards consuming meat raised using welfare-friendly methods, raising considerations about the age composition of the sample. The research's originality lies in evaluating consumer interest in pork raised with animal welfare-respecting techniques. The use of appropriate statistical tools, such as multivariate and multilayer models, allows effective solutions for multidimensional hypothesis testing problems in non-parametric permutation inference.

Invited review: strategic adoption of antibiotic-free pork production: the importance of a holistic approach

The discovery of the use of antibiotics to enhance growth in the 1950s proved to be one of the most dramatic and influential in the history of animal agriculture. Antibiotics have served animal agriculture, as well as human and animal medicine, well for more than seven decades, but emerging from this tremendous success has been the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance. Consequently, human medicine and animal agriculture are being called upon, through legislation and/or marketplace demands, to reduce or eliminate antibiotics as growth promotants and even as therapeutics. As explained in this review, adoption of antibiotic-free (ABF) pork production would represent a sea change. By identifying key areas requiring attention, the clear message of this review is that success with ABF production, also referred to as "no antibiotics ever," demands a multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach. Too frequently, the topic has been approached in a piecemeal fashion by considering only one aspect of production, such as the use of certain feed additives or the adjustment in health management. Based on the literature and on practical experience, a more holistic approach is essential. It will require the modification of diet formulations to not only provide essential nutrients and energy, but to also maximize the effectiveness of normal immunological and physiological capabilities that support good health. It must also include the selection of effective non-antibiotic feed additives along with functional ingredients that have been shown to improve the utility and architecture of the gastrointestinal tract, to improve the microbiome, and to support the immune system. This holistic approach will require refining animal management strategies, including selection for more robust genetics, greater focus on care during the particularly sensitive perinatal and post-weaning periods, and practices that minimize social and environmental stressors. A clear strategy is needed to reduce pathogen load in the barn, such as greater emphasis on hygiene and biosecurity, adoption of a strategic vaccine program and the universal adoption of all-in-all-out housing. Of course, overall health management of the herd, as well as the details of animal flows, cannot be ignored. These management areas will support the basic biology of the pig in avoiding or, where necessary, overcoming pathogen challenges without the need for antibiotics, or at least with reduced usage.

Educational interventions to address misconceptions about antibiotic residues in milk can alter consumer perceptions and may affect purchasing habits

The industrialization of the agri-food industry and resultant decrease in the number of people employed on farms has contributed to a knowledge gap among consumers about food production processes. A commonly reported concern of dairy consumers is the use of antibiotics in dairy animals, even though these drugs are an important tool for promoting animal health and welfare and food safety. The extent to which consumers are aware of antibiotic residue avoidance practices in dairy production is unknown, and it is unclear whether acquisition of such knowledge could affect purchasing behavior and perceptions of dairy farming. The objectives of this study were to assess consumers' perceptions about the quality and production of dairy products in the United States and determine whether educational materials on processes that limit the occurrence of antibiotic residues in milk can change consumers' perceptions of dairy products and purchasing behaviors. We surveyed 804 consumers and assigned them to 1 of 3 interventions: (1) a control arm (reading the content of the Dairy page of the USDA's myplate.gov website); (2) an educational brochure on the processes that prevent antibiotic residues in milk; and (3) a video on the same processes. We found that a majority (86.1%) of participants believe that the quality of dairy products in the United States is high, although many had concerns about the treatment of dairy animals and chemicals (pesticides, antibiotics, hormones) in dairy products. Compared with the control intervention, the brochure was associated with a significant decrease in the level of concern consumers had about chemicals in their milk [-0.20 points on a Likert scale, 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.32 to -0.08] and a significantly increased comfort in purchasing conventional dairy products (odds ratio 2.43, 95% CI, 1.62 to 3.66). The video was associated with even stronger effects: a 0.29-unit decrease in the level of concern about chemicals in milk (95% CI, -0.42 to -0.016) and 2.94 times greater odds of purchasing conventional dairy products (95%, CI 1.92 to 4.49). Although consumer food decision making is complex and driven by multiple factors, it appears that education about the processes that promote food safety can reassure consumers about their concerns and potentially affect purchasing habits.

Exploring Farmers' Reasons for Antibiotic Use and Misuse in Pig Farms in Brazil

Stressful management that makes farmed pigs susceptible to infections is associated with high antibiotic use (AMU) and resistance (AMR). Pig farmers are key stakeholders to support the international agenda pushing AMU restrictions. We interviewed 58 pig farmers on AMU/AMR, biosecurity, veterinary assistance, disease prevention and treatment, aiming to understand practices and attitudes towards the AMU/AMR problem. Farmers described a reliance on antibiotics to prevent and treat disease while neglecting biosecurity measures. We identified inappropriate AMU practices (high use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, incorrect dosage or treatment length) and unrestricted access to antibiotics, which encouraged imprudent AMU. Nevertheless, most farmers considered this AMU legitimate to guarantee herd productivity and showed unpreparedness and resistance to changing AMU practices, perceiving limitations (economic, sanitary and inspection) more easily than alternatives to reduce AMU. Agro-industries and foreign markets were mentioned, and internal consumers dismissed as potential motivators for behavioral changes. Importantly, farmers' economic, technical and social factors may limit their autonomy to change practices. We conclude that the observed distancing of pig farmers from the AMU/AMR problem limits the efficiency of policies aiming for a prudent AMU. Our study indicates a need for education, training and behavior change nudging that should include other stakeholders beyond farmers.