The National Pork Producers Council's role in food safety and legislation

Agriculture: National Pork Producers Council

There are a number of councils that are responsible for the food that the public consumes. It is important to look at the National Pork Producers Council and determine its history, responsibilities, current issues it is addressing and how it affects legislation.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) was established to "conduct public policy outreach on behalf of its 44 affiliated state association member - enhancing opportunities for the success of U.S. pork producers and other industry stakeholders by establishing the U.S. pork industry as a consistent and responsible supplier of high quality pork to the domestic and world market (www.nppc.org/)."

Food Safety Responsibilities

The NCCP stresses that "food safety is the pork industry's number one priority and federal and state meat inspection systems are the key part of ensuring safe food.

The U.S. pork industry is among the most regulated industries in the nation (www.nppc.org/)." The NPPC has implemented a program which addresses "pork quality issues through education and communication of factors affecting pork quality and ways to deal with these factors throughout the pork chain (unknown, 1999)."

The Food Safety Group (FSG) "promotes research that focuses on the microbial ecology of foods, detection methods, and the control of foodborne pathogens to prevent foodborne disease (www.foodscience.psu.edu/Research/fdsafety.html)." The NPPC has provided funding to the FSG to research "the effects of chilling methods for bacterial recovery and reducing bacteria on pork carcasses, optimization of electrolyzed oxidizing water and comparison with other microbial compounds to reduce pathogens on fresh or further processed pork products, effects of commercial chilling methods for reducing bacteria on pork carcasses and microbial profile of overhead surfaces and condensate in pork processing plants (www.foodscience.psu.edu/Research/fdsafety.html)."

Conclusion

There are a number of agricultural issues which can affect consumers today. The National Pork Producers Council is responsible for not only protecting its members through legislation, but also protecting consumers from harmful pathogens through funding and research, and the administration of guidelines which must be adhered to in the food service industry. The NPPC strives to stay abreast of current issues affecting its industry and to find ways to assist its members in the implementation of new technology. Its main goal, however, is to provide safe, high quality products to consumers throughout the world.