New tool to assess residue risk for pig veterinarians

“This app is a simple way to review practices and evaluate risk levels before your product enters the pork supply,” said Michael Senn, DVM, senior manager, Pork Technical Services, Zoetis. The results can provide guidance for talks between the veterinarians and producers to reinforce commitment to the responsible use of antibiotics.

The assessment app — created with veterinary expert input — asks questions about on-farm animal care and management practices. A weighted scoring system assigns points based on the likelihood of the risk of a violative antibiotic residue in pork. The assessment rates a farm’s risk level as low, moderate or high, and it suggests next steps to maintain low risk or address higher-risk issues. Users can send the results to any email address, allowing veterinarians, producers or caregivers to easily view them.

“Veterinarians and producers are always on the go,” Dr. Senn said. “The mobility of a risk assessment app allows for easy evaluation of proper antibiotic usage. It also can be shown to caregivers, reinforcing the importance of using antibiotics responsibly.”

Download the app for free from the Apple App Store. After logging in with your Apple account information, search for the Swine Residue Risk Assessment.