September 2011 - Iowa Pork Producers Association

investigations of the egg industry. The groups want the
agreement codified in a federal animal welfare law that
pre-empts state laws.
In a press statement, NPPC said such a one-size-fitsall
approach will take away producers’ freedom to
operate in a way that’s best for their animals, make it
difficult to respond to consumer demands, raise retail
prices and take away consumer choice, devastate
niche producers and, at a time of constrained
budgets for agriculture, redirect valuable resources
from enhancing food safety and maintaining the
competitiveness of U.S. agriculture to regulating
on-farm production practices for reasons other than
public health and welfare.
NPPC urges Codex to adopt guidelines
on parasites that are science-based
National Pork Producers Council consultant Dr. Ray
Gamble, director of the Fellowships Office of the
National Academies’ National Research Council, and
Dr. Paul Sundberg, National Pork Board vice president
of science and technology, recently participated in a
Codex Alimentarius Commission working group that is
developing guidelines on parasites in meat.
Gamble, who previously was laboratory director of
the Parasite Biology and Epidemiology Laboratory for
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, is one of the
world’s foremost authorities on zoonotic parasites.
At a meeting in July, the Codex commission approved
new work to develop “Guidelines for control of
specific zoonotic parasites in meat: Trichinella spiralis
and Cysticercus bovis.” NPPC worked closely with
the commission, U.S. delegates and other industry
stakeholders in the United States and in other countries
to keep any new work from duplicating, contradicting or
narrowing the current efforts of the World Organization
of Animal Health (OIE).
The European Union developed its own draft guidelines
on controlling zoonotic parasites in meat and wants
Codex to adopt them as international standards, which
only a few countries in the EU could meet
NPPC will continue to urge Codex to develop sciencebased
standards for the safe trade of food.
Your participation in the Strategic
Investment Program allows the
National Pork Producers Council and
state organizations to enhance and defend your opportunities to
compete at home and abroad.
Negotiate for fair trade (import/export)
Fight for reasonable legislation
Fight for reasonable regulation
Inform and educate legislators
Provide producers direct access to lawmakers
Proactive issues management with media
Secure and guide industry research funding
Enhance domestic and global demand
Provide producer information and education
Strategic
Investment
Program
Mandatory
Pork
Checkoff
Funding $0.10/$100 $0.40/$100
Your voluntary investment is NPPC’s primary source of funding;
Checkoff dollars cannot be used for public policy funding.
The National Pork
Producers Council (NPPC)
conducts public policy
outreach on behalf of its
44 affiliated state
association members
enhancing
opportunities for the success of U.S. pork
producers and other industry stakeholders by
establishing the U.S. pork industry as a consistent
and responsible supplier of high quality pork to the
domestic and world market.
NPPC is primarily funded through the Strategic
Investment Program, a voluntary producer investment
of $.10 per $100 of value that funds state and national
public policy and regulatory programs on behalf of U.S.
pork producers.
For more information on NPPC, visit www.nppc.org.
SEPTEMBER 2011
37