Company launches antibiotic-free products

The development comes in response to growing public concern over antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the reduced effectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of diseases. HKScan’s policy of antibiotic-free pork production is a direct response to market demand both on HKScan’s home and export markets.

The Company already uses a significantly lower volume of antibiotics in the treatment of animals than in most other European countries on average. Instead, the company safeguards the health of its animals by investing resources in animal type spesific living environments, high standards of hygiene and strict biosecurity practices. In Finland, only a negligible percentage of HKScan pork is fed any medication at any stage of its lifecycle. Due to the strict period observed by the company, all meat products are 100% antibiotic-free by the time they reach the consumer.

The most effective way to prevent antibiotic resistance is to limit the use of antibiotics strictly to the treatment of diagnosed disease, both in the case of humans and production animals. The contract producers do not use antibiotics in order to prevent diseases or promote growth. In the rare event that antibiotics are administered, this always takes place under strict veterinary supervision, and only in the treatment of a diagnosed disease.

HKScan is continually improving its Rypsiporsas rapeseed-fed pork chain in Finland, now by combining 100% antibiotic-free production with the use of domestically sourced protein in animal feed. This special pork is raised on Finnish grain combined with fully domestic protein sources: rapeseed, broad beans and peas.