Antibiotics and Vaccinations in Pork Production

Antibiotics and vaccines are different animal-health tools. Understanding the distinction helps consumers interpret farm practices and production claims more accurately.

Why antibiotics may be used

Antibiotics can be used in veterinary medicine to treat bacterial disease. A farm’s treatment protocols can depend on animal health, veterinary guidance and the production system.

The fact that an animal received necessary treatment is different from a marketing claim about whether antibiotics were used during its lifetime.

What “raised without antibiotics” means

CFIA guidance states that for meat to carry a “raised without the use of antibiotics” claim, the animal must not have been treated with antibiotics by any method from birth to slaughter. The guidance also addresses antimicrobial substances that affect eligibility for the claim.

This means a treated animal may need to leave a program marketed under that specific claim even when treatment was appropriate for the animal’s health.

Vaccines are different

Vaccines are biological products used to help animals develop protection against particular diseases. CFIA guidance allows vaccines in animals whose meat is marketed with a raised-without-antibiotics claim.

Ask separate questions

If these practices matter to you, ask whether pigs are routinely vaccinated, what happens when an animal becomes sick, whether antibiotics are used therapeutically, and whether the pork is marketed under a specific production claim.

Do not assume “pasture-raised,” “local,” “natural” or “no added hormones” answers the antibiotic question. Each claim should be understood separately.