Pork produced with antibiotics safer.

• Position: Food-Borne Illness

While consumers are increasing demand for pork produced without antibiotics, more of the pigs raised in such conditions carry bacteria and parasites associated with food-borne illnesses, reveals a study at Ohio State University, Columbus. A comparison of swine raised in antibiotic-free and conventional pork production settings reveals that pigs raised outdoors without antibiotics had higher rates of three food-borne pathogens than did those on conventional farms, which remain indoors and receive preventive doses of antimicrobial drugs.

"Animal-friendly, outdoor farms tend to have a higher occurrence of salmonella, as well as higher rates of parasitic disease," cautions Wondwossen Gebreyes, associate professor of veterinary preventive medicine.

More than half of the pigs on antibiotic-free farms tested positive for salmonella, compared to 39% of conventionally raised pigs infected with the bacterial pathogen. The presence of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite was detected in 6.8% of antibiotic-free pigs, compared to 1.1% of conventionally raised pigs--and two naturally raised pigs of the total sampled tested positive for Trichinella spiralis, a parasite considered virtually eradicated from conventional U.S. pork operations.

As long as pork is cooked thoroughly according to Federal guidelines, the presence of these infectious agents in food animals should pose no risk to human health. The Department of Agriculture recommends that consumers cook fresh pork to an internal temperature of 160[degrees]F. The pathogens generally do not cause illness in the animals.

Despite the results, Gebreyes does not recommend one type of pork production over another. "The advantage of using antibiotics is to prevent these infections from occurring. The disadvantage is it appears to create a favorable environment...