Spanish white pork sector: Animal Welfare and Food Safety at the service of the consumer
Every day, consumers show more concern and demand more information about the food they consume, taking for granted that the products at their disposal have quality and do not represent a risk to their own health.
Through the improvement of animal welfare, the Spanish white pork sector has performed many advances in terms of biosecurity, animal health, handling, feeding, among others. All these values are supported and pursued by the “Welfare Commitment Certified” seal, which are ultimately translated into providing, guaranteeing and certifying to consumers a higher food safety.
This seal represents the compliance of the operators with the Animal Welfare and Biosecurity Technical Regulation INTERPORC ANIMAL WELFARE SPAIN (IAWS), developed by professionals of the sector from production and industry, endorsed and validated by a Scientific Committee of experts in animal welfare, audited by certification bodies authorized and independent, and recognized by animal rights organizations.
Numerous scientific studies positively relate greater care and protection of animals, meeting their nutritional necessities, better sanitary conditions on farms, satisfying the natural behavior of the species and optimal housing and environmental conditions with higher product quality. All of them are the basic pillars on which the IAWS animal welfare certification is based.
Each and every one of the operators with farms and embraced on the certification, must be adhered to the antibiotics reduction program of the National Plan against Antibiotic Resistance (PRAN). The aim is to raise awareness about the responsible use, reduction and resistance of antibiotics on farms as well as promoting good hygiene practices and other measures which allow to prevent infectious diseases on farms and, consequently, reduce antibiotic use. This way, we ensure to consumers that certified operators carry out a responsible antibiotic use and the product is safe without the presence of antibiotic residues.
In addition,slaughterhouses and food industries that wish to achieve the certificate,it is mandatoryas a prerequisiteto obtain one of the most recognized international certifications in food safety (IFS, BRC or FSSC22000). Through these standards, the IAWS seal guarantees that the pork meat industry carries out all the necessary precautions to market a safe product.
In conclusion, the Spanish white pork sector demonstrates, through the IAWS certification, that it is committed to food safety, maintains the traceability of food from “Farm to Fork” and is also transparent by transmitting all that information to the consumer, building trust.
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