Tilmovet(R) AC (tilmicosin phosphate) When you have choices, you have control. H

NPB Sci-Tech Committee Activities

October 25, 2006 — Angela DeMirjyn

The National Pork Board (NPB) has posted an update outlining the recent activities of a number of committees within the Science and Technology Division.

The Animal Welfare Committee, chaired by Dale Norton and directed by NPB's Director of Animal Welfare Dr. Sherrie Niekamp, met in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 3-4. During the meeting, and a follow-up conference call, the main topic of discussion was the modification of the SWAP program and its inclusion in the new version of the Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) program, PQA Plus. The committee also instituted a new call for research proposals to be funded in 2007.

The Pork Safety Committee, chaired by Barb Determan and staffed by Steve Larsen and Dr. Liz Wagstrom, traveled to Canada on August 14 - 16 to meet with the Canadian Quality Assurance Group. Topics of discussion were PQA Plus; food safety issues including Toxoplasma; the use of Carbadox in Canada and the implications of new Japanese market maximum residue limit requirements for imported products. Other committee activities included receiving a sow packer representative who presented an update on the situation with physical hazards, mainly needles, in cull sows; an update on activities in influenza and finalizing tactics to be presented to the plan of work taskforce. In addition, the committee funded six research projects totaling $280,000 during a meeting in October and issued a call for proposals to be funded in 2007.

The Swine Health Committee, chaired by Jim Niewold and staffed by Drs. Patrick Webb and Pamela Zaabel, has likewise been active. They held a PCVAD workshop in association with the George Young Swine Disease Conference on August 17 - 18 to identify priorities for the industry to consider in the fight against PCVAD. These priorities fall under the categories of: Immunology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics, vaccinology and other interventions. The committee approved ten research proposals addressing PCVAD totaling $500,000. In addition, the committee also approved eight PRRS research proposals during its July 25 - 26 meeting at the National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, IA and will review an additional 15 research proposals during its upcoming November meeting in Las Vegas, NV. Committee members will also participated in a foreign animal disease table top exercise in Washington, DC.

Angela DeMirjyn, NPB Science and Technology writer