Pork Quality Assurance® Plus (PQA Plus®) version 5.0, PQA Plus Site Assessment version 5.0, and Transport Quality Assurance® (TQA®) version 8 have been certified to be I-S-O, or International Organization for Standardization, compliant with international animal welfare standards.
Stephanie Wetter, director of animal welfare and sustainability at the National Pork Board, explains how this accomplishment demonstrates pork producers’ dedication to providing pigs with an environment that is healthy, safe, and sustainable.
She says the ISO’s animal welfare technical specification was designed to evaluate if animal welfare programs meet international standards for animal care across the supply chain. Wetter says importers of U.S. Pork will find value in the ISO compliance.
Wetter goes on to say that ISO designation does not mean more work for pork producers.
As an independent, international standards-setting body, ISO works with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to help farmers and animal welfare programs determine how to implement species-specific animal welfare standards. Visit www.porkcheckoff.org to review the full release.
