ABSENCE OF ANTIBIOTICS IN THE FARM

WHAT IS THAT

CSQA has prepared four voluntary standards/disciplinary to support companies that intend to certify products of animal origin or derived from animals that have not undergone antibiotic treatments on farm​ for the entire period of life or part of it. The certification allows to support "Antibiotic free" or "Breed without antibiotics" claims.


The standards are voluntary and apply to:

• Pork and derivatives
• Poultry meat and derivatives
• Eggs and derivatives
• ​Fish and derivatives

The standards are:

- DTP 109: "PIGS RAISED WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS" / "ANTIBIOTIC FREE"
- DTP 116: "POULTRY WITHOUT ANTIBIOTIC"
- DTP 127: "EGGS FROM HENS RAISED WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS"
- DTP 147: "FISH RAISED WITHOUT THE USE OF ANTIBIOTICS FOR A DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME"
The implementation of these standards makes it possible to demonstrate that the meat and its derivatives are obtained from animals that have not undergone antibiotic treatments (through a much more restrictive approach than that required by law) on farm.
The claim "raised without antibiotics" is provided only if the animal has not undergone antibiotic treatments throughout its life cycle (starting from the birth/hatching of the eggs).
Where the guarantee concerns only one phase of the life cycle (for example the last 4 months) it is mandatory to report this specification on the label "farm without antibiotics in the last 4 months" as happens in some cases for the pig sector.

The DTP 109 specification "Pig reared without antibiotics" applies:

• to the swine supply chain: birth farms, weaning farms, fattening farms, slaughterhouses, processing plants
• to the entire life of the animal (to support the claim "raised without antibiotics") or part of it (to support the claim "raised without antibiotics for XXX months")

The specification DTP 116 "Poultry without antibiotics" applies:

• to the poultry supply chain: farms, slaughterhouses, processing plants

The DTP 127 specification "Eggs from hens raised without antibiotics" applies:

• to the egg supply chain: brooders, rearing farms (pullets) and laying farms

The DTP 147 specification "Fish farmed without the use of antibiotics for a defined period of time" applies:

• Farm;
• Slaughter, cutting and processing for traceability requirements and maintenance of the chain of custody;

It can be adopted by a single organization or an associated organization.
The management of the "antibiotic-free" requirement takes place at the farm level while in the subsequent phases it is required to implement a traceability system that ensures the maintenance of the chain of custody in all process phases and therefore the separation of the product made from " antibiotic-free " farms compared to the conventional product.

KEY POINTS

Organizations interested in communicating the absence of antibiotic treatments on farms must summarize:

• Define the product subject to certification
• Define - in the case of pigs and fish only - the period in which it is intended to guarantee the "farming without antibiotics" requirement
• Identify the operators of the supply chain
• Raising animals without using antibiotics
• Identify the possible risks of contamination from antibiotics and define operating procedures aimed at eliminating these risks
• Ensure product identification and traceability at all stages of the supply chain
• Define operating procedures aimed at downgrading any non-compliant products, thus excluding them from the certified product circuit
• Qualify feed mills through inspections and analytical checks
• Implement a self-control system (management, checks, analytical controls, training, non-compliance management, etc.) aimed at managing the "antibiotic free farm" or "antibiotic free for the defined period" requirement

ADVANTAGES

This certification is a due diligence tool and support for the claim " farming without antibiotics ".
The use of the claim and the support of the certification ensure transparent communication on antibiotics.
Certification is an important tool to support company marketing to meet the needs of consumers who are increasingly aware and attentive to issues relating to the broad sphere of sustainability and health.