March 15, 2020
Organization certifies meat for one-health considerations
A drug resistance–focused nonprofit organization is creating one-health certifications for meat, dairy, and egg producers.
The One Health Certified program, administered by the National Institute of Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Education, so far provides certification programs for chickens and turkeys raised for meat, and organization officials hope to complete standards for pork this year. The institute is based in Iowa State University’s research park.
Dr. Kristen Obbink, associate director of NIAMRRE, said the organization works with experts to develop standards related to disease prevention, veterinary care, responsible antimicrobial administration, animal welfare, and environmental impact and opens those standards to public comment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service conducts audits on those standards, and third-party audits verify compliance with the welfare standards, she said.
Dr. Obbink said the program’s standards are intended to reflect a system-based approach that considers the overall circumstances of how farms animals are raised. The program’s branding assures consumers that production companies’ practices are in the best interests of animals, humans, and natural environments, she said.
The program limits concurrent labels, prohibiting use of the One Health Certified logo on products also labeled as cage free, gluten free, or produced with no antibiotics, although it can be used with the Humane Certified label. Dr. Obbink said those other labels can confuse consumers, who may think competing products, for example, contain antimicrobials.
A statement from NIAMRRE issued in January indicates the chicken meat producer Mountaire Farms became the first company to adopt One Health Certified standards, completing audits in November 2019.
“It was important to us that we participate in a holistic and ethical program that strives for optimal health outcomes for animals, consumers, and the planet,” said Dr. Don Ritter, director of technical marketing at Mountaire Farms, in the announcement.