Feedback (also called "controlled oral exposure") is a common practice used in the pork industry where infected deceased pigs and their manure are fed to breeding pigs. This is done in an attempt to make the breeding pigs garner some degree of immunity to circulating diseases.[1] There is no standard protocol resulting in some swine researchers calling the procedure potentially risky and noting that it is often done in an unsafe manner. [2][3]

History

Feedback appears to have been originally researched in the 1950s. In the decades since, its usage in the pork industry has become widespread due to increases in the pork industry's size and increases in overcrowding. The change in the industry's size has led to a growing spread in diseases such as E. coli and PEDv. A lack of vaccines for these diseases has led to feedback being used in their place.[4][5]

Controversy

Some veterinarians such as Jim Reynolds recommend against its use due to the risk of exposing pigs to more diseases than intended.[1] The Humane Society of the United States has called the practice "beyond disturbing" and that its use is indicative of the rise of intensive pig farming. [6] The Animal Legal Defense Fund has called it "disgusting, unethical and unlawful" and has filed a lawsuit against one pig farm for its use.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 Torrella, Kenny (2023-08-05). "A new investigation exposes the stomach-churning practice that goes into making your bacon". Vox. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  2. ↑ Niederwerder, M. C.; Hesse, R. A. (2018-02-02). "Swine enteric coronavirus disease: A review of 4 years with porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus and porcine deltacoronavirus in the United States and Canada". Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. 65 (3): 660–675. doi:10.1111/tbed.12823. PMC 7169865. PMID 29392870.
  3. ↑ Jung, Kwonil; Saif, Linda J.; Wang, Qiuhong (2020-09-01). "Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV): An update on etiology, transmission, pathogenesis, and prevention and control". Virus Research. 286: 198045. doi:10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198045. ISSN 0168-1702. PMC 7266596. PMID 32502552.
  4. ↑ Arruda, Paulo Elias (2010). The Effects of Oral Controlled Exposure on Colostrum Characteristics in Swine (Thesis). Iowa State University. doi:10.31274/etd-180810-921.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Hogs Fed Pig Remains, Manure to Fend Off Deadly Virus Return". Scientific American. 2015-12-14. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  6. ↑ Barclay, Eliza (February 20, 2014). "'Piglet Smoothie' Fed To Sows To Prevent Disease; Activists Outraged". NPR.
  7. ↑ "Lawsuit Filed Against Pig Breeder Holden Farms Related to Feeding Dead Piglets' Intestines and Feces to Mother Pigs and Other Offenses". Animal Legal Defense Fund. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
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