In 2014, the Company worked to develop its Global Vision for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Food Animals (VAS), which strives to “preserve antimicrobial effectiveness in the future through ethical practices today.” Published in March of 2015, it was developed based on recommendations from external subject matter experts from around the world. The VAS builds on our 2003 policy and provides guidance to Company suppliers in parts of the world where the industry does not yet have systems in place that would allow them to verify compliance throughout the supply chain. Compared to the 2003 policy, this document outlines the Company’s goals to:
-Apply the guiding principles to suppliers of all animal proteins, not just chicken
-Prohibit the use of critically important drugs (i.e., as defined by the World Health Organization, WHO, as critical to human health) that are not approved for veterinary use
-Prohibit the use of medically important drugs (i.e., as defined by the WHO, important to human health but also approved for veterinary use) when used for growth promotion
-Require veterinarians to oversee animal care Implement farming practices that reduce or eliminate the need for antibiotic use by using proven best practices such as probiotics or animal husbandry practices Embrace farming systems that reduce the need for antibiotics