Written by Clara Nyegaard-Signori, SEGES, Livestock Innovation
Abstract
Denmark is recognised worldwide for efficiently reducing antibiotic use and resistance in pig production. Since 1994, several legislative initiatives have been introduced to achieve low antimicrobial consumption in the pig industry. Two of the most profound actions were the ban on the use of growth promoters in 1998 and the introduction of the yellow card initiative in 2010, which established the threshold for antibiotic usage. Recent initiatives, such as differentiated taxes and the setting up of an Advisory Committee on veterinary medicines, have positioned Denmark among the countries with the lowest antibiotic usage in pig production in the world [1].
Reducing the use of antibiotics in Danish pig production
Since 1994, Denmark and Danish pig farmers have consistently worked to regulate and limit the use of antibiotics in the pig production. Animals may only be treated with antibiotics if they are sick – and antibiotics can only be prescribed by a veterinarian.
One of the first steps towards limiting the use of antibiotics was the implementation of new regulations that meant that veterinarians were no longer allowed to sell veterinary prescription medicine, including antibiotics, directly to farmers. The herd veterinarian, with whom all professional pig farmers have an advisory agreement, must prescribe all medicine to a pharmacy where the farmer can then buy it. Consequently, the veterinarians were no longer able to profit on the sale of these drugs.
From 1994 to 2017, the total use of antibiotics dropped by 49 % [1]. Each year, around 20,000 samples from slaughter pigs at Danish abattoirs are tested for antibiotic residues. Residues are only found in 0-3 samples annually, which is far lower than in many other countries [2].
Figure 1 – Graphic: Antibiotics: reducing consumption (agricultureandfood.co.uk)
Eliminating growth promotors
Denmark was among the first countries to ban the use of antibiotics as growth promotors in 1998 [3]. In 1969, the Swann Committee was formed in the United Kingdom with the goal to monitor the increasing antimicrobial resistance. The Swann Committee recommended that antimicrobial agents used for therapy should not be used as growth promotors due to the risk of resistance. Following this, several antimicrobial agents were banned as antibiotic growth promotors (AGP) in Denmark and other EU member states. The use of avoparcin as an AGP was banned by law in May 1995, and in February 1998, virginiamycin was banned as an AGP for broilers, cattle and finishing pigs. A few months later, the pig industry voluntarily ceased the use of all AGPs in finishing pigs. All use of AGPs in Denmark was banned in food-producing animals by December 1999 [4].
SEGES studied the consequences of the ban in 62 Danish finisher farms in 1999. The majority (62 %) of the producers did not experience any problems. Only about 26 % of the producers experienced a temporary drop in daily gain. Even fewer (11 %) experienced persistent problems with diarrhea and/or a reduction in daily gain. To help the producers through this transitional phase, they were advised to focus on factors such as hygiene, management routines, feed strategy and composition of feed as well as the pigs’ immediate environment [5].
Efficient monitoring of antibiotic use
DANMAP was founded in 1995 by the Danish Ministry of Health to monitor the use of antibiotics (it is now a collaboration between Statens Serum Institut (SSI) and the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark [6]). DANMAP was not founded specifically to focus on livestock production as the main objective was to monitor antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals (One-Health). Before VETSTAT was founded, DANMAP also provided guidelines for selection of antibiotics for treatment.
In 1999, VETSTAT was founded by the Technical University of Denmark to monitor the antibiotic usage in Denmark. In 2011, it was taken over by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration [7]. Through VETSTAT it is possible to compile records of drug use in all livestock herds [7]. It is possible to monitor the use of antibiotics per species of animal, age group and diagnosis group [2]. The information used in VETSTAT originates from pharmacies, veterinarians, and feed mills. Data from VETSTAT is also used in the yellow card system.
The yellow card system
As public awareness and concerns about the development of resistance increased, the Danish government agreed on an action plan in 2009 aimed at reducing antibiotic usage by 2013. This political objective targeted pig farmers with the highest levels of consumption [4]. As a result, the yellow card initiative was established in 2010 by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.
The initiative defined thresholds of antibiotic usage, and if these thresholds are exceeded, the farmer receives a yellow card [8]. Pig farmers holding a yellow card are subject to extra supervision for nine months, and in this period, the producer may be prohibited from storing antibiotics on site, and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration may inspect the farm unannounced. If a reduction is not achieved within 12 months after the extra supervision, the farmer will receive a red card. The red card results in further legislative implications such as lowering the stocking density. Every month, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration identifies farms with a high antibiotic usage that are subsequently put under increased supervision [9].
The goal was to achieve a 10 % reduction by 2013. And this goal was achieved, as antibiotic usage dropped by 10.2 % between 2010 and 2013 [10]. From the introduction of the yellow card system and until today, the thresholds have been reduced four times.
In July 2016, the yellow card model was revised. The upper limit for antibiotic usage was lowered and a weighting system was introduced, whereby antibiotics critical to human health were given a higher weighting in the calculation of a farm’s overall antibiotic use, and less critical types of antibiotics were assigned a lower weighting [11]. The current upper limit per 100 animals per day is 3.2 animal daily doses (ADD) for piglets, sows, gilts and boars, 17.2 ADD for weaned pigs up to 30 kg, and 4.4 ADD for finishers and young sows [12].
Establishing an Advisory Committee on veterinary medicines
In 2013, the Danish government introduced differentiated taxes on antibiotics due to a political pressure. This means that critically important antibiotics, like third and fourth generation cephalosphorins and fluoroquinolones, are now subjected to a tax of approximately 11 % [13].
As part of a political agreement in 2017, it was decided to set up an Advisory Committee on veterinary medicines. This impartial committee consists of veterinary and human medicine experts from the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark, the Danish Medicines Agency, the Danish Health Authority, Statens Serum Institut (SSI), the Danish Veterinary Association and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration. The committee’s role is to offer guidance and initiatives in relation to antimicrobial use and resistance. Furthermore, they advise the Minister of Environment and Food on veterinary issues. The first issue to be handled by the committee was to set new goals for the national target for antimicrobial consumption after 2018 [4].
Future perspectives for the Danish pig producers
Danish pig producers are constantly looking for new ways to reduce their antibiotic usage, e.g. through vaccinations, improvement of hygiene, and changes in management routines that promote the pigs’ resistance to diseases.
Due to the continuous check-ups, where antibiotic usage is measured, the producers are highly aware of the use in their production. And that explains why Denmark is among the countries with the lowest antibiotic usage in pig production in the world!
References
[8] Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (n.d): Special provisions for the reduction of the consumption of antibiotics in pig holdings (the yellow card initiative).
[13] DANMAP (2018): 4. Antimicrobial consumption in animals.
[6] DANMAP (2021): DANMAP. About DANMAP –
[4] FAO (2019): Tackling antimicrobial use and resistance in pig production – lessons learned in Denmark
[7] Fødevarestyrelsen (2021): VETSTAT. VetStat (foedevarestyrelsen.dk)
[3] Hayes, D. J. and Jensen, H. H. (2003): Lessons from the Danish Ban on Feed-Grade Antibiotics. CARD briefing papers, 28.
[1] Landbrug og Fødevarer (2019): Antibiotics: reducing consumption (agricultureandfood.co.uk)
[2] Landbrug og Fødevarer (n.d.a): Antibiotics (agricultureandfood.co.uk)
[11] Landbrug og Fødevarer (n.d.b): New stricter antibiotics rules (agricultureandfood.co.uk)
[10] Miljø- og Fødevareministeriet (2016): Styrket indsats mod ulovlig indførsel af antibiotika til produktionsdyr.
[9] Miljø- og fødevareministeriet (2021): Gult-kort ordningen.
[12] Miljø- og fødevareministeriet (2021): Grænseværdier for antibiotikaforbrug.
[5] Pedersen, A. Ø. & Fink, C. H. (2000): Erfaringer med ophørt brug af antibiotiske vækstfremmere til slagtesvin. SEGES.
